Adult

JULY, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER 1986

COMBINED

PROG

HELPRAM

FOR THE

SMALL

CHURCH

If your church is small and must combine

cradle roll, kindergarten, and primary

Sabbath School divisions, you'll be glad to

know that now there's a special edition of

Program Helps

designed just for this

situation.

Covering one full year of the three-year

cycle,

Combined Program Helps for the Small

Church

offers more than just programs. You'll

find information on how to work with cradle

roll, kindergarten, and primary age groups in the same Sabbath School. There's a Materials

List for each quarter, sections on do-it-yourself visual aids, offering devices and illustrations,

a Nature Facts section, mission stories, and more.

Order now through your Sabbath School secretary or from your Adventist Book Center.

Combined Program Helps for the Small Church,

Series A (for 1985) $3.95.

Contents

All Heaven in One Gift



7. The Door to Forever

Why the Devils Tremble



8. The Bush Still Burns

The Gospel According to You 9. The Revelation Room

Lord of the Impossible



10. Like Father, Like Son

A Congregation of One



11. Pentecost Now

Extravagant Love



12. The Day He Wore My Crown

13. He Lives!

Editorial Offices: 6840 Eastern Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20012

Lesson Author: W. Kenneth McFarland

Editor: Leo

Van Dolson

Marketing: Bob Kyte

Sales Office: Shirley Sayers

Art and Design: Pacific Press

The Adult Sabbath School Lessons are prepared by the Sabbath

School Department of the General Conference of Seventh-day Ad-

ventists. The preparation of the lessons is under the general direc-

tion of a worldwide Sabbath School Lesson Committee, the mem-

bers of which serve as consulting editors. The published lesson

quarterly reflects the input of the committee and thus does not

solely or necessarily represent the intent of the author.

Scripture references other than from the King James Version quoted by permission in

this quarterly are as follows:

NW. From

The New International Version,

Bible Society. Used by permission.

NEB. From

The New English Bible,

sity Press and the Syndics of the Cambridge University Press, New York City.

Adult Sabbath School Lessons (standard edition). (USPS 702-480).

Published quarterly by Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1350

North Kings Road, Nampa, ID 83687, U.S.A. One year subscrip-

tion in U.S.A., $3.75; single copy, 95 cents. One year subscription

to countries outside U.S.A., $5.25; single copy, $1.55. All prices at

U.S.A. exchange. Second-class postage paid at Nampa, ID. When

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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Adult Sabbath School

Lessons (standard edition), P. 0. Box 7000, Boise, ID 83707.

Editions in Braille available. See page 99.

Adult Sabbath School Lessons (USPS 702-480) I No. 365 / July-September

1986

J. N. Andrews,

pioneer

missionary

W. C. Grainger,

pioneer

to Japan

D. A. Robins

pioneer to

South Atria

and India

Abram La Rue,

pioneer to

Hong Kong

Andrews, La Rue, Grainger, Robinson, Stahl, Hare,

the Halliwells, Miller—what excitement these names

carry in Adventist circles! Adventist mission history

echoes with the names of hundreds of pioneers—men

and women who dared and did for the Lord.

And as their exploits filtered back to what was once

the home bases for Adventist missions, purse strings

were loosed. Mission giving peaked in the 1950's with

mission funds accounting for more than twenty percent

of total tithes and offerings. Sadly, however, mission

funds in 1984 accounted for less than five percent of

total S.D.A. giving. Our mission pioneers who gave

their all would have a hard time understanding these

statistics.

Today the glamour seems to have worn thin. But in

reality the mission outreach of the Seventh-day Ad-

ventist Church has become wildly successful—per-

haps too successful for its own good, when we consider

the current state of (or lack of) support. More than one

million members in Africa, another million in Inter-

America, and nearly another million in South America

attest to the continued success of our mission pro-

grams.

True, the pioneers for the most part would have a dif-

ficult time recognizing the kind of mission outreach that

warms the hearts of those who visit the world field to-

day. Radio, television, stop-smoking programs, English

and other language schools touch people where they

live, work, and play.

Actually our mission challenge is greater and there

are more opportunities than ever before. True, the day

of the pioneer missionaries has for the most part

slipped into history, although a few hardy and coura-

geous people still meet what need there is for pioneers.

An opportunity for expanded giving—

H. W. Miller,

China doctor

Eric B. Hare,

pioneer

among the Karens

in Burma

The Leo B. Halliwells,

pioneers

on the Amazon

F. A. Stahl,

pioneer

n the Andes

But when we think of missions today we think of

teams, and many such teams include volunteers—stu-

dent missionaries, Adventist Volunteer Service Corps,

S.O.S. (retired workers), and hundreds of local lay

workers. The number of volunteer workers is increas-

ing year by year.

Whereas the traditional missionary home bases—

Australia, Europe, New Zealand, and North America—

still send a large share of missionaries outside their

borders, most of the other divisions now contribute

workers as well.

In the light of this world-wide contribution, are mis-

sion offerings still essential? If you could see the thou-

sands upon thousands of children in Africa attending

Sabbath School who do not receive lesson papers, or

their Sabbath Schools being conducted without the vi-

sual aids so many in other countries take for granted,

there would be a tug on your purse strings as well as on

your heart strings.

Three out of every five members in the Far Eastern

Division are Filipino people. What evangelistic excite-

ment pervades that fast-growing field! But many new

members there are dropping away because they have

no place to worship. How can Sabbath School mem-

bers resist sacrificing to take advantage of this day of

opportunity in the Philippines?

If only the world church could catch the enthusiasm

and commitment that characterizes our mission pro-

gram in the Philippines, in Korea, in Africa, in Latin

America, our mission offerings would rise dramatically.

The challenge and opportunities are greater than ever.

Let's match the excitement of fast-expanding mission

programs with the thrill of ever-expanding mission giv-

ing.

Thirteenth Sabbath offering, September 27

Meet the Writer

of This Quarter's Lessons

W. Kenneth McFarland is assistant vice president for English editorial at Pacific

Press Publishing Association. Born in Hood River, Oregon, he received his degrees

from Pacific Union College and Andrews University Theological Seminary. Elder

McFarland pastored in the West and Southwest for nearly 10 years before joining

Pacific Press as associate book editor and associate editor of

Signs

in 1979. He has

authored three books, including

The Christian Atheist,

and has written articles for most

major Adventist publications. His hobbies include writing, hiking, traveling, and home

computers. He and his wife, Carolyn, have four children.

Supplemental Book:

Bridge to Space Island

by Ken McFarland is published by

Pacific Press Publishing Association and is available at your Adventist Book Center.

The Gospel of John describes that dramatic time in the history of the universe when

God built a bridge, in the person of His Son Jesus, between heaven and earth—an

island of sin adrift in the sea of space.

Chapters in the supplemental book parallel the lessons in this quarterly and bear

such titles as "You Can't Drive to Alcatraz," "Gridlock," "When the Horse Won't

Drink," and "Third Person, Singular. "

Bridge to Space Island

explores such major themes of John's Gospel as belief,

eternal life, God's love, and Christ's relationship to His Father and to the Holy Spirit.

The book is composed of all-new material not found in the quarterly—and will add

greatly to your understanding and enjoyment of the lessons.

Introduction to the Gospel of John

Heaven Came

IIDown

Among those who accepted Jesus when heaven came down

to this earth, John was one of the most receptive. Of all

Christ's disciples, John came to know Him most intimately. It

was through John that Christ's deepest spiritual teaching was

communicated.

John's Gospel is not a story-teller's narrative, like that of

Mark. Neither is it a closely reasoned treatise, like the epistles

of Paul. Instead the Gospel of John is the personal testimony

of a friend who knew the strong heart and mind of Christ as

perhaps no other person ever has known it.

Structurally, this Gospel is a book of recurring ideas—of

interwoven themes—and as such we will approach it for our

study this quarter. If one suggestion might be made to enrich

your study of these lessons, it would be to study parallel chap-

ters in

The Desire of Ages

by Ellen White.

As we study, let us behold Jesus in all His magnificence

through the eyes of the man who knew Him best.

OVERVIEW OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

Prologue

John 1:1-18

II.

Christ's Public Ministry

to the Jews

John 1:19 through 12:50

III.

Christ's Private Ministry

to "His own"

John 13 through 17

IV.

The Passover Climax:

Tragedy and Triumph

John 18 through 21:23

Epilogue

John 21:24, 25

lbw P(bilflo

All Heaven in One Grit

THIS WEEK'S STUDY: John 1:1-18

SAD

MEMORY TEXT: "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,

L'U

(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Fa-

ther,) full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).

CENTRAL THOUGHT:

To save us and to share with us the truth about

God, Jesus Christ—the Word—left heaven and came down to this world

of death and darkness, bringing life and light and taking our humanity.

John 1:1-18—the Prologue to John's Gospel

John 1:1-5

John 1:6-13

John 1:14-18

The Word of life

and light.

The Word rejected,

the Word accepted.

The Word made flesh.

INTRODUCTION: A

teenager who has "borrowed" the family car with-

out permission, only to wreck it while racing with a friend, has to be a

little nervous about what his father is going to say.

If you come from a broken home, and you grew up being told that your

father abandoned his family while you were still learning to crawl, how

does that make you feel about him?

If you had been Adam or Eve, and just had your first taste of forbidden

fruit, how would you have felt when you heard God calling your name?

Would you be glad to see Him?

From the time that sin cut heaven off from earth, Satan has worked

overtime trying to convince human beings that God is angry with them,

that they should be angry with God, or that sin has alienated them so

completely from God that they cannot expect salvation.

Satan approaches some who are like the teenager who wrecked the

family car. "God is really upset with you," he tells them. "If I were you,

I would stay as far away from Him as possible."

Others he approaches like the now-grown child of divorce. "God has

abandoned you," he tells them. "He does not care about you. He never

has and He never will."

God could not let Satan's lies go unanswered. For our sakes the truth

had to be told. He had to say something. So it was that the Word came

down from heaven. The Word was Jesus Christ—"God's thought made

audible."—The

Desire of Ages ,

p. 19.

to"

Were God's thoughts, as Satan had claimed, thoughts of anger and

stern justice? Or were they "thoughts of peace" (Jer. 29:11)? Did He

really care about His children, or did He not? Through Jesus, God would

do far better than simply

tell

us how He felt. He would

show

us. Love

professed is good. Love revealed is better.

In this first lesson of a new quarter we focus on the prologue to John's

Gospel. Like the overture to a great symphony, it sets forth many of the

major themes to be developed later: word, light, life, witness, belief,

world, power, Father. John builds his record of Christ's life around sev-

eral key words and recurring ideas—a number of which are anticipated

here in the prologue.

Undoubtedly the key verse of this prologue is verse 14: "The Word

was made flesh, and dwelt among us." That Jesus should leave heaven

and come down to live with us in our humanity is a startling but thrilling

thought. Yet, as Ellen White wrote, "In the gift of Jesus, God gave all

heaven."—The

Desire of Ages ,

p. 565.

Heaven came down—and what glory has filled our souls because of it!

We were alienated from our Father—angry at Him—fearful of Him—

misinformed about Him. Heaven came down as the Word and declared

the truth about our God.

We were stumbling in the darkness of Satan's lies and our own sin.

Heaven came down as the Light, and the darkness fled. We were doomed

and dying. Heaven came down as Life and offered us eternity.

This week we begin another full quarter of study about that magnificent

time when heaven, in Jesus, came down to this earth. But for our study to

be more than mere mental exercise or theological exploration, we will

need continually to personalize the message John so eloquently shares

with us. We will need to apply, appropriate, and act on what we learn.

I. THE WORD OF LIFE AND LIGHT (John 1:1-5).

Both the Old Testament and the Gospel of John begin with the same

words: "In the beginning."

The "beginning" in Genesis refers to the time when "God created the

heaven and the earth" (Gen. 1:1). But the "beginning" in John refers to

the eternity of time that preceded the "beginning" of Genesis.

In beginning his Gospel, John chose words that convey the truth that

the Word

always has been.

Theologians call this truth

the pre-existence

of Christ.

To attempt to understand how we may someday live forever

without ever dying is difficult indeed. Even more difficult to grasp is the

idea of Someone who always has been—Someone with no beginning. Yet

the amazing truth of John's first phrase is that Jesus, the Word, has end-

less, limitless existence.

SEARCH AND LEARN: Which member of the Godhead is the Creator-

God of Genesis 1 and 2? See John 1:1-3 and 14. Compare Col. 1:13-17.

"The Word was with God."

What does that mean? Certainly it means

Ctim:? (balk

Lesson

more than just physical proximity. We sense that John means to tell us

something of the intimacy of the shared existence the Father and the Son

enjoyed together. In the last verse of the prologue (verse 18), John says

that the Word "is at the Father's side" (NIV). No one else has ever been

or is so well qualified to tell us what the Father is like, as is Jesus.

Finally, John says that the Word

was

God. John phrased this in such a

way, in the Greek in which he wrote, as to make clear that Jesus is neither

god—one among many, nor that He is

the

God—the only Person who

can be so called. Rather, John's phrase conveys the idea that Jesus is of

the very essence and quality of God—that He is divine.

SEARCH AND LEARN: Jesus has existed forever with the Father and is

just as fully God as is the Father. Yet the

titles Father

and

Son

seem to imply

that in some way Jesus occupies a position subordinate to the Father. Study

John 17:5, Philippians 2:6-11, and Hebrews 1:2-5, 6, 13 to discover whether

this is so? Has it always been so? What is Christ's position today?

Verse 3.

In this verse John tells us that all things were made through the

Word. Because of the heresy known as Gnosticism that had arisen during

his lifetime, it was vital for John to connect Jesus definitely with the work

of creation.

The promoters of Gnosticism believed themselves to possess advanced

and secret knowledge. They taught that in the beginning only two things

existed—God and matter. God, they said, was pure spirit, while matter

was flawed and evil. To a Gnostic it was inconceivable that a pure and

holy God should ever touch polluted matter. Therefore God could not

possibly have carried out the work of creation Himself.

In eternity past, they said, He put out from Himself a series of what are

called "emanations." Each emanation (a kind of radiation) was farther

and farther away from Him. As time passed, the emanations knew less

and less about Him. About halfway down the series of emanations one

came along that finally knew nothing at all about God. After that the

emanations began to be not only ignorant of God, but hostile to Him.

At 'last there came an emanation that was so distant from God that it

was both totally ignorant of Him and totally hostile to the very idea of

Him. This emanation (known as the demiurge), the Gnostics taught, was

the power that created the world, because it was so distant from Him that

it could touch flawed and evil matter.

Against both the Gnosticism of John's day and the evolutionary theor-

ies of our time stands John's bold claim that this world was created by

God the Word—Jesus Christ Himself.

A child who had known only the streets and walls of a large city was

taken to the countryside for an outing. Seeing the bluebells in the woods,

she asked, "Do you think God would mind if I picked some of His

flowers?"

This is the Creator's world. He is not detached from it. He is not disin-

terested in it. And He is not an absentee landlord. Even though His per-

fect world has been marred by sin, He still loves and cares for His cre-

ation.

II. THE WORD REJECTED, THE WORD ACCEPTED (John 1:6-13).

Having introduced us to Jesus as the Word, as the Life, and as the

Light, John introduces us in verse 6 to another man named John. This

John—John the Baptist—had been "sent from God" to bear witness to

the Light.

Some who heard John the Baptist's plain and eloquent preaching

apparently were so captivated by him that they were in danger of giving

more importance to John than to Jesus. Because of this, John the Gospel

writer is careful to point out in his Gospel that, although the Baptist's

place in the scheme of things is important, it still is subordinate to that of

Jesus.

John the Baptist, the apostle writes,

isnot

the Light. He is

awitness

the Light. (This important key word in John's Gospel,

witness ,

will be the

subject of Lesson 3.) John the Baptist witnesses that all may

believe

Jesus—another key word, which we will consider in our next lesson.

FOR LATER STUDY:

Having credited the Word with Creation, John

next introduces the Word to us in verses 4 and 5 by two new titles: the

Life, and the Light. We will focus on these themes in more detail than we

can in this lesson when we reach the point in our study of John where

they become prominent.

U E

SEARCH AND LEARN: Study the story of John's ministry as presented in

John 1:19-37. Then answer the following questions:

Who was "that prophet" referred to by the priests and Levites in verses

21 and 25? (See Deut. 18:15.)

Because John the Baptist had no direct acquaintance with Christ

(The

Desire of Ages,

p. 109) he did not recognize Jesus at first. But God gave

John a sign by which to identify the Messiah. What was it? John 1:32, 33.

As a witness to Jesus, John "bare record" of Him. In a sentence or two,

write down your witness—go on record—as to what Jesus means to you

personally.

The True Light.

Jesus is the real, genuine Light. Even though others

have arisen through history who have attempted to enlighten humanity,

Jesus is the original. He is the Source of all true light.

Just as the dim beam of a flashlight is lost in the sudden, brilliant flash

of a lightning bolt, just as the stars are lost in the light of a noonday sun,

so all other lights are lost in the true Light—Jesus Christ.

WED

THINK IT THROUGH: In verse 9 John says that Jesus is "the true light

that gives light to every man" (NIV). Every person? Does Jesus enlighten

the unlearned and uncivilized? The mentally impaired? The follower of a

heathen religion who has never heard His name?

"There is a general illumination of mankind. It is the common teaching

of the New Testament writers that God has revealed something of Him-

self to all men (Rom. 1:20), sufficient at least for them to be blameworthy

when they take the wrong way instead of the right way. John attributes

this general illumination to the activity of the Word."—Leon Morris,

The

Gospel According to John ,

Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm B. Eerdmans Pub.

Co., 1979, p. 95.

Yet it is true also that, even though it shines on all, the Light can be

received or rejected. And this truth is the main focus of this second sec-

tion of John's prologue. Verses 10 and 11 are full of incredible irony. The

Creator of the earth comes to the world He has made, and the world does

not even know Him. He comes to His own people, and they will not re-

ceive Him.

But "as many as received him"—a group that can include any of us

living today—"to them gave he power [the right, authority, or privilege]

to become the sons of God" (verse 12). Those who receive Jesus, John

writes, are born of God. We are not born again, John makes clear, by

means of heredity or human willpower, but "of God."

REACT: Read verses 11 and 12 again. What do you think it means to

"receive" Jesus? Be as specific as you can in your answer.

III. THE WORD MADE FLESH (John 1:14-18).

When "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us" (verse 14),

Heaven came down. We have arrived at the sentence that introduces the

major purpose behind the writing of John's Gospel. He has talked about

the Word—a term familiar both to his Jewish and Greek readers. And

now he says the most incredibly startling thing he possibly could have

said. This Word (Greek

logos)

which created the world, he says, has be-

come a human being, and we have seen Him with our own eyes.

The story of the four Gospels is the story of that brief time when God

stepped out of eternity into time, out of heaven onto earth, out of His

divine form into a human body. It is the story of the incarnation.

Incarnation

is a word from the Latin meaning to be "in flesh." The

incarnation—the embodiment of God Himself in human flesh—is abso-

lutely unique and profoundly mysterious. Yet the fact that it is a mystery

should not discourage us from exploring it.

ILLUMINATION:

"When we want a deep problem to study, let us fix our

minds on the most marvelous thing that ever took place in earth or

heaven—the incarnation of the Son of God."—Ellen G. White

Comments,

S.D.A. Bible Commentary, vol.

7, p. 904.

/MI Mau= 01:1CiluCt

Lesson

Such study will be fascinating and richly rewarding if we bring to it a

humble, teachable, and reverent spirit. "When we approach the subject

of Christ's divinity clothed with the garb of humanity, we may appropri-

ately heed the words spoken by Christ to Moses at the burning bush, 'Put

off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy

ground.' We must come to the study of this subject with the humility of a

learner, with a contrite heart. And the study of the incarnation of Christ is

a fruitful field, and will repay the searcher who digs deep for hidden

truth."—Ellen G. White Comments,

S.D.A. Bible Commentary , vol.

pp. 904, 905.

SEARCH AND LEARN: In verse 14, John says of Jesus that "we beheld his

glory." Compare Exodus 33:18, 19; 34:6, 7 with this verse. What do you

think Christ's "glory" is?

The Humility of Jesus.

To those steeped in Gnosticism, the idea of a

God taking a human body was an impossible thought. To them, the body

was an evil prison holding the soul captive.

Some of the Gnostic heretics who lived during the early church period

are known as Docetists. This term comes from the Greek word meaning

"to seem to be." They held that Jesus was a phantom, that His body was

not a real, physical body. He was, they said, a disembodied spirit in the

form of a human being. Therefore, He could not feel hunger, weariness,

or pain.

But John emphatically disagrees with the Docetists. In verse 1 he un-

equivocally affirms the

divinity

of Jesus. Then, in verse 14, he gloriously

proclaims the

humanity

of Jesus.

ILLUMINATION:

"When Jesus took human nature, and became in fash-

ion as a man, He possessed all the human organism. His necessities were

the necessities of a man. He had bodily wants to be supplied, bodily wea-

riness to be relieved." —Ellen G. White Comments,

S.D.A. Bible Com-

mentary , vol.

5, p. 1130.

SEARCH AND LEARN: How does John, in another of his writings, de-

scribe those who deny the full humanity of Jesus? (See 2 John 7.)

As important as it may be to understand all we can about the nature of

the incarnation—about the mysterious blending of the divine and the hu-

man—it is far more important for us to understand its purpose.

Why did the Word become flesh? Why did Jesus take human nature?

Why did Heaven come down?

To save us from sin's penalty? Surely. But also to save us from sin's

power—to set us free from its deadly hold over us. Jesus came to reveal

to us a mighty, liberating secret. He came to show us where the power

is—the power to obey, the power to overcome, the power to resist, the

power to love as God loves.

Jesus knew that He must do more than simply tell us this great secret.

So that we might not miss it, He took our nature with all its liabilities,

limited Himself only to such advantages as are available to us, and dem-

onstrated how to live by faith in a power totally outside of ourselves.

ILLUMINATION:

"As one of us He was to give an example of obedi-

ence. For this He took upon Himself our nature, and passed through our

experiences. 'In all things it behooved Him to be made like unto His

brethren.' Heb. 2:17. If we had to bear anything which Jesus did not en-

dure, then upon this point Satan would represent the power of God as

insufficient for us. . . His life testifies that it is possible for us also to

obey the law of God."—The

Desire of Ages ,

p. 24.

Jesus came to save us from sin's penalty. He came to save us from sin's

power. He came to show us what the Father really is like.

God knew that the only way to win back His rebel children was to show

them fully His character of love. This love, He knew, was the only thing

in the universe powerful enough to pull them away from the magnetic

attraction of sin and selfishness.

To show us this great love, God sent Jesus, "the only begotten Son,

which is in the bosom of the Father" (John 1:18). And Jesus "declared

him"—He told us and showed us what the Father truly is like.

FURTHER STUDY AND MEDITATION:

Read chapter 1 in

The Desire of

Ages

entitled "God With Us." Also restudy Hebrews 1.

SUMMARY:

As John begins to write the greatest story ever told, he

shares with us in his prologue the amazing truth that Jesus voluntarily

came down from heaven to this earth to display the Father's love in hu-

man flesh for all to see, and to reveal to us the secret of victory over sin.

APPLICATION:

As Jesus the Light shines into my life, is there any light—any truth—of

His that I am rejecting? Is there anything He desires to which I am

saying "No" to Him? Is there any place where I am holding out on

Him?

Has Jesus succeeded in personally convincing me that He and the Fa-

ther are exactly alike in how they feel about me? Or do I still some-

times feel that God the Father is not quite as much my Friend as Jesus

is?

Jesus has made it possible for all of us to become God's children. As a

child of God, what are my privileges? What are my responsibilities?

NOTES:

Why the Devils Trenchlle



Lesson

THIS WEEK'S STUDY: The word

believe

in John's Gospel, as found in

such verses as John 14:1; 6:47; and 6:29.

SAB

MEMORY TEXT: "These are written, that ye might believe that



Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have

life through his name" (John 20:31).

CENTRAL THOUGHT:

When Jesus came down to show us the Father's

love, His great hope and purpose was that the people of the world would

be drawn by that love into a relationship of trust, depending fully on

God's mercy and goodness for eternal life.

OUTLINE:

Believing is trusting (John 14:1).

II.

Eternal life through believing (John 6:47).

III.

The work of believing (John 6:29).

INTRODUCTION:

Towering a mile above Albuquerque, New Mexico, in

the United States is a mountain ridge called Sandia Crest. The west face

of the mountain plunges sharply to the valley floor below. Atop the

mountain are launching areas where, on most clear days, daring people

may be seen racing to the edge of the precipice, from which they leap out

into space.

Normally, we would assume that anyone who would jump off a cliff

had either taken leave of his senses or had tired of living. But those who

leap from Sandia Crest are apparently sane and seem to enjoy life.

Then why do they vault from the summit into thin air? Because they

are firmly connected to a glider mechanism that supports them as they

ride the columns of air that rise high into the sky. These human eagles

exercise implicit trust in their equipment, trusting their very lives to their

fragile gliders. Sometimes that in which they trust fails them, resulting in

serious, even fatal accidents. But John points to a God we can trust fully.

He never fails us.

Ninety-eight times in his Gospel, John uses a Greek verb that is trans-

lated in English as "believe." The noun form of this same Greek word

can be translated as "belief," "faith," or "trust." Significantly, John

does not use the noun form of the word even once. Why? Two possible

reasons may be suggested. First, by using the verb exclusively, John

stresses that he sees believing as something active and dynamic. Believ-

ing is something

one does .

Believing is not a thing—it is an action.

Second, even in John's time there were some who, unfortunately, had

come to attach an inadequate, if not inaccurate, meaning to the noun.

These saw "belief"

as primarily

intellectual assent—mental acceptance.

Today both our English noun

belief

and our verb

believe

are too often

co a

understood in this limited way. To believe something, it is maintained, is

to accept it as true and factual. To believe someone is to accept what that

person says as correct.

Even the devils are not atheists. "Thou believest that there is one God;

thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble" (James 2:19). The

devils believe in God's existence and in His power. They even believe in

His Word more readily than many Christians do—yet they tremble.

This belief brings them no peace. Instead it leaves them trembling in

fear. Why do the devils tremble? This week we will discover that the dev-

ils tremble because their belief is not the true belief that John describes in

his Gospel.

I. BELIEVING IS TRUSTING (John 14:1).

A toddler was placed on a high ledge by her father. He assured her that

he would catch her, then told her to jump. Without hesitating, she pushed

off from the ledge and plummeted into his arms. Far from being afraid,

she insisted that they do it again, and again, and again.

The father was amazed and more than a little gratified by her total con-

fidence that he would catch her. Had he stepped aside as she leaped from

the ledge, she surely would have been injured—perhaps seriously. But

she seemed not even to have considered that possibility. She trusted her

father implicitly.

As we reflect on the basis for such trust, we must conclude that it prob-

ably was founded on two things. First, the daughter knew that her father

was

able

to catch her. He was strong enough to intercept her small body

easily as it hurtled toward the floor. Had she not, after all, seen him lift

heavy items of furniture? Had he not lifted her over his head so that she

could touch the ceiling? Was it not true that her daddy could do just about

anything?

Second, she knew that her father loved her. She knew him well enough

to know that he would not fail her. She knew that he cared about her too

much to permit her to be harmed if he could prevent it. She

believed

him. Her belief extended far beyond a simple conviction that he basically

was truthful and benevolent; her trust was so thoroughly without reserva-

tion that she could leap from a high place with no fear whatever.

THINK IT THROUGH: What does John help us understand about the

deeper meaning of

believe?

It means far more than just accepting the facts about Jesus. It means

more than agreeing that He is altogether powerful and full of love. To

believe in Jesus Christ is to trust His power and love so completely that

we are willing to let go of every other possible support and cast ourselves

totally upon Him. It is to abandon ourselves utterly to His goodness. It is

to depend on Him absolutely and rely on Him perfectly.

Belief does include acceptance of certain facts; but

saving

faith or be-

lief must go beyond intellectual assent and include an active, dependent

trust in a person. Real belief is not just intellectual. It is personal.

The devils believe that God is real. They believe what He says, but

they do

not rely

on Him. They do not

depend

on Him to do for them what

they cannot do for themselves. Well might devils—or angels or human

beings—tremble who do not trust the saving all-sufficiency of God's love.

What is a saving faith?

"Saving faith comes only through the faith relationship with Christ.

Perhaps the best single definition for faith is trust. 'Faith is trusting

God.'—Education ,

p. 253. And if faith is trusting, then the moment you

have faith, you have at least two parties. There's no such thing as faith

and only one person. Faith has a subjective element—one depending on

another."—Morris L. Venden,

Faith That Works

(Washington D.C.: Re-

view and Herald Publishng Association, 1980), p. 134.

"Faith," said Martin Luther, "is a living, daring confidence in God's

grace, so sure and certain that a man would stake his life on it a thousand

times."—Martin Luther,

Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans

(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Publishing House, 1954), p. xv (Intro-

duction).

If the word

believe

in John's Gospel means "trusting a person," then how

is this kind of saving faith developed? Rom. 10:17.

"Saving faith is always the result of something else. It is the result of a

relationship with the One who is trustworthy.

"So, how do you develop a relationship? By becoming acquainted

through communication. That's the way to have a relationship with any-

one. How do you communicate with God, with Jesus? Through the Bi-

ble—that's how God talks to us. And through prayer—that's how we talk

to Him. And through going places and doing things together—that's

Christian service. Through these simple means that God has given, rela-

tionship can exist. When we get to know Him we will trust Him spontane-

ously, and when we trust Him we have faith."—Morris L. Venden,

Faith

That Works ,

p. 134.

II. ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH BELIEVING (John 6:47).

This week's memory text (John 20:31) gives us the reason why John

wrote his Gospel: "that ye might believe." But believing was not to be an

end in itself. He wanted all who read his words to believe for a purpose:

"that believing ye might have life."

SEARCH AND LEARN: Study the verses listed below and identify a theme

that runs throughout John's Gospel:

John 3:15



John 5:24

John 3:16



John 6:47

John 3:36



John 11:26

Theme•



Although we are saved through believing, we must realize that eternal

life is not a reward for believing—for having enough faith. Faith, Ellen

White wrote, "is the means, not the end."—Ellen G. White Comments,

S.D.A. Bible Commentary ,

vol. 6, p. 1073.

Believing has no merit in itself. That which does have merit and upon

which our eternal life is based is the goodness, love, mercy, and grace of

God.

"Faith is the condition that makes salvation possible. Faith is not the

cause—grace is. Although faith does not possess merit in itself, the ab-

sence of faith frustrates grace. Though grace is the source of salvation,

we can have no salvation without faith."—Herbert E. Douglass,

Faith:

Saying Yes to God

(Nashville, Tenn.: Southern Publishing Association,

1978), p. 52.

Eternal life is the gift of God's grace. Faith is the hand that reaches out

to take it.

THINK IT THROUGH: Following are four phrases. Place a number "1"

beside the one that you think should come first. The first phrase should lead

naturally to what? The second phrase to what? The third phrase to what?

Number the four phrases so that they will be in their proper order:



Trusting Christ



Regular communion with Christ



Receiving eternal life



Knowing Christ

III. THE WORK OF BELIEVING (John 6:29).

Trusting in Jesus, we

have

eternal life because eternal life is in Jesus

(1 John 5:11). If we receive Jesus, if we form a relationship of trust in

Him, all the gifts that are

Him become ours.

And while eternal life may be one of the greatest of all His gifts, it is

certainly not His only gift to us. Another of His greatest gifts is power—

power to obey, power to keep from sinning, power to become like Him,

power to witness for Him.

How do we obey God? How do we keep from sliming? How do we become

like Christ? Psalm 40:8; John 14:23; Gal. 2:20.

Many Christians find that trying to live the Christian life is an exhaust-

ing battle, a joyless duty, and an enormous effort. And many, even of

those who give it their best, become increasingly discouraged by their

apparent lack of success as Christians.

There are in essence only two basic approaches to religion.

1. The first approach emphasizes the word

behavior.

Those who take

this approach believe that they should work hard to be good. They do not

see how God can be happy with them if they do not behave as He has

asked them to behave.

They usually give priority to the "dos" and "don'ts"—Christianity to

them consists of doing all the things God says to do and avoiding all the

things He says not to do. To them the Christian life is perceived falsely,

not as a pleasure, but as a duty.

"There are those who profess to serve God, while they rely upon their

own efforts to obey His law, to form a right character, and secure salva-

tion. Their hearts are not moved by any deep sense of the love of Christ,

but they seek to perform the duties of the Christian life as that which God

requires of them in order to gain heaven. Such religion is worth noth-

ing."—Steps

to Christ ,

p. 44.

THINK IT THROUGH: Why does Ellen White make the strong statement

that such religion is worth nothing?

One reason she does is that, because their security rests on their behav-

ior, those whose religion is behavior-oriented will likely be constantly

monitoring their spiritual behavior to see how they are doing. If their

spiritual checklist reveals consistent failure, these Christians become

deeply discouraged—perhaps even to the point of giving up entirely.

If, on the other hand, through sheer human willpower they have suc-

ceeded in achieving outwardly correct behavior they may become even

more self-dependent as well as judgmental of those less successful.

Another risk of behavior-based religion is that it is possible to succeed

in behaving properly without forming any real relationship of trust with

Jesus Christ. The Pharisees were meticulous in many aspects of their out-

ward behavior, but they did not trust in God.

WED



2. Another approach to religion emphasizes the word

relationship.

Those who take this approach believe that they should give priority to

knowing God. They do not attempt to make God love them, because they

know that He loves them already. They do not obey because they

have

but because they

want to.

These relationship-oriented Christians know that their battle is not the

battle to be good—instead it is "the good fight of faith" (1 Tim. 6:12).

They know that their work is not the work of trying hard to be good.

Rather, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath

sent" (John 6:29).

In the light of Jesus' statement found in John 14:15, what caution needs

to be raised about not carrying the point made above to an extreme?

We must not go to the extreme of thinking that it does not matter what

we do as long as we are right with God. Those who relate properly to

Jesus will want to do what He wants them to do.

THINK IT THROUGH: Is God more interested in what we do or in why we

do it? Give your reasons for the answer you choose.

Clearly, the Bible is talking about effort that is directed not toward be-

havior but toward building a relationship of trust in Jesus. But if we em-

phasize relationship over behavior, will not this lead to license and low-

ered standards? Not if our commitment is total.

F.EMMI

iiii

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

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ILLUMINATION:

"Those who feel the constraining love of God, do not

ask how little may be given to meet the requirements of God; they do not

ask for the lowest standard, but aim at perfect conformity to the will of

their Redeemer."—Steps

to Christ ,

p. 45.

Another concern often expressed is that if we tell people not to work

hard to be good, they will just relax and expect Christ to do all the work

for them. To say that we should not work hard to do God's will and to be

good is not to say that the Christian life is effortless. Indeed, the work of

believing involves enormous effort. Those who practice a passive, effort-

less religion are sadly deceived.

What obstacles are there to believing? Matt. 7:14; 13:19-22 .

"First of all, it takes effort for me to come to Christ—to seek His pres-

ence and power in my life. The devil doesn't worry about me as long as he

sees me struggling along on my own, making great efforts against sin and

toward righteousness. But when he sees me making efforts to connect

with the only real Source of power, he does everything he can to discour-

age or divert me. So it takes real effort on my part—because of this deter-

mined opposition—to seek God on a continuing basis."—Morris L.

Venden,

The Return of Elijah

(Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub-

lishing Association, 1982), p. 52.

ILLUMINATION:

"It is Satan's constant effort to keep the attention di-

verted from the Saviour and thus prevent the union and communion of

the soul with Christ. . . .

"Satan will constantly present allurements to induce us to break this

tie—to choose to separate ourselves from Christ. Here is where we need

to watch, to strive, to pray, that nothing may entice us to choose another

master."—Steps

to Christ ,

pp. 71, 72.

NOTES:

Once we have worked hard to form a connection with Christ, we must

letHim

obey through us, behave correctly through us, resist temptation

through us. Do not misunderstand. God does not work or will or do

out-

side

of us. He never bypasses our faculties while we passively take our

ease in our rocking chairs. He works

in andthrough

us.

After we put much effort into developing a relationship with Jesus, we

come to know Him. The better we know Him, the more we trust and love

Him. And, motivated by our love for Him, we expend great energy and

effort to serve and obey Him. Our faculties are active. But this effort is

not forced and reluctant compliance with duty. Instead, it is the natural

and spontaneous response of love to the will of God. Taking our eyes off

our behavior and focusing them on our relationship to Christ does not

result in spiritual inactivity. "Faith is not an opiate, but a stimulant."—

E. G. White,

The Faith I Live By,

p. 93.

The work of trying to be good is discouraging because it results in fail-

ure. No one enjoys working hard only to fail. But the work of believing is

exhilarating because it results in success. Both kinds of work have the

same objective—obedience. But when I try on my own, I fail. When I

trust, He succeeds.

THINK IT THROUGH: Place a check mark beside the statement below

that you believe is most correct:



After I have done all I can, Christ steps in and does what I

could not do.



As I work hard, Christ adds His power to my effort.



As I put my trust in Christ, He works in and through me to

choose and to do His will.

FURTHER STUDY AND MEDITATION:

Read

Steps to Christ,

the chap-

ter entitled "The Test of Discipleship." Also study Romans 8:1-16.

SUMMARY:

Both in how and in the number of times he uses it, John

wants the word

believe

to describe to us a relationship of total trust in

Jesus. He wants us to realize that as we make believing our work, God

makes it His work to bring us eternal life, victory over sin, and every

other gift of heaven.

APPLICATION:

•

Belief, trust,

and

faith

come from the same Greek word. Which of

these English words is most meaningful to me in describing my rela-

tionship to Christ?

•

One of the endearing qualities of children is their unquestioning,

unhesitating trust. What happens to diminish this quality in most peo-

ple by the time they reach adulthood? If this is true for me, how can I

once again become childlike in trusting God?

•

If I were totally sure of Christ's love and His power, would it ever be

possible to worry? If I find myself worrying about things quite often,

what can I do to increase my trust in Jesus?

NOTES:

Oft CM_

The Gospell Accollading

to You

THIS WEEK'S STUDY: The word

witness

in John's Gospel as it relates to

such references as John 1:7, 8; 43-46; and 3:32.

MEMORY TEXT: "Verily, verily, I say to thee, We speak that we do

know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness"

(John 3:11).

CENTRAL THOUGHT:

Jesus came down to this earth to bear witness to

what He knew of the Father. It is our privilege to reveal Jesus as it was

His privilege to reveal the Father. We can bear witness to what we have

come to know about Him through our study of what He has revealed

about Himself and through our personal experience with Him. From

studying John's use of the word

witness

we may gain valuable insights

into what witnessing is, and how to witness.

OUTLINE:

The witness Jesus bore (John 3:32).

II.

The message to which we witness (John 1:7, 8).

III.

The method of witnessing (John 1:43-46).

INTRODUCTION:

"Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole

truth, and nothing but the truth—so help you God?"

"I do."

"The witness will please take the stand."

A few days ago two cars collided in an intersection near your home.

Now you have been called to testify.

"Will you please tell the court if the stop light at the intersection was

working?" the attorney begins.

"It is possible that it was," you reply.

"What do you mean, 'It is possible'—don't you know?"

"Well, I have it on good authority that the light was probably

working."

"On good authority? What are you saying? Weren't you there?"

"Well, not exactly. But I know someone who was, and he told me he

was pretty sure the light was working."

Say good-bye to your brief career as a witness.

A witness tells what he has seen, what he has heard, and what he

knows. Courts of law are not interested in hearsay testimony.

"This emphasis on testimony [in John's Gospel]," writes Leon Morris,

"should not be overlooked. There is a legal air about it. Testimony is a

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Accordin,

serious matter, and it is required to substantiate the truth of a matter. . . .

Witness establishes the truth."—The

Gospel According to John ,

(Eerdmans, 1971), p. 90.

There is much more to witnessing than trying to persuade others of the

correctness of our beliefs. In a courtroom, persuading others to see

things a certain way is the function of an attorney, not a witness. A wit-

ness simply shares what he has observed and experienced firsthand.

Witnessing does more than establish the truth. "It commits a man. If I

take my stand in the witness box and testify that such-and-such is the

truth of the matter I am no longer neutral. I have committed myself."—

Leon Morris,

The Gospel According to John ,p.

90.

One evidence of how witnessing involves commitment is that the word

witness

in the New Testament is translated from the Greek word from

which we get our English word

martyr.

The ultimate witness is to give

one's life for the cause to which the martyr is committed.

John uses the Greek word that often is translated "witness" 47 times in

his Gospel—far more than any other New Testament writer uses it. He

uses the noun form 14 times and the verb 33 times.

When you think of witnessing for Christ, do you get clammy hands, a

dry throat, and a feeling of butterflies in the stomach? Do you associate

witnessing with questions for which you do not have the answers? Does it

seem to you that witnessing primarily becomes a matter of knocking on

the doors of strangers, passing out literature, and giving Bible studies?

If your basic response to the idea of witnessing is fear, and your moti-

vation is guilt or duty, then perhaps this week's lesson will help you dis-

cover that witnessing can be a joy and a pleasure. If you think of witness-

ing as being confined to just a limited number of church-sponsored activi-

ties, perhaps this lesson will introduce you to a broader idea of what wit-

nessing includes.

Whatever witnessing is, it involves sharing the gospel—the Good

News. And your greatest effectiveness in witnessing will be in sharing

your own experience with Christ—the gospel according to you.

I. THE WITNESS JESUS BORE (John 3:32).

"What he hath seen and heard," John the Baptist said concerning

Jesus, "that he testifieth."

Just what had Jesus seen and heard? Having enjoyed a closer relation-

ship to the Father than anyone on earth had enjoyed since sin began,

Jesus could testify of Him. He could tell the truth about God, for He had

"seen and heard" Him. (See Matt. 11:27.)

"Only He who was in the bosom of the Father could declare Him. Only

He who knew the height and depth of the love of God could make it mani-

fest."—Steps

to Christ ,

p. 14,

ILLUSTRATION:

Imagine that all the children of a kind and wealthy gen-

tleman have been kidnapped except for the oldest son. The children are

taken far away to a blighted place where they are forced into hard labor

and fed barely enough to sustain life. Their villainous captor constantly

harangues them about how utterly evil their father is. At first they do not

believe their kidnapper. They know better. But days, months, and years

pass. They are growing up now, and they cannot remember their father

very well anymore. The constant brainwashing is having its effect.

"Your father does not care," their kidnapper tells them. "You are mis-

erable? You have pain and grief? It is his fault. If he really cared, he

would not ignore you. But he has abandoned you.

"But one of these days when you least expect it he will show up. And

when he does, he will haul every one of you into court on trumped-up

charges. He will be both judge and jury, and he will see to it that all of you

are sentenced to death and executed.

"He says he is your father. But I say he has nothing in his heart for you

but hatred and punishment."

Then, unexpectedly, one day the oldest son in the family knocks at the

door of the house where his brothers and sisters—now fully grown—are

being kept. He tells them who he is, but they do not recognize him. It has

been too long. And they are suspicious of him because he says he has

lived with their father all these years.

Slowly, gently, he begins to tell them the truth about their father—that

he loves each of them more than life itself. The brothers and sisters see

how benevolent and affectionate their older brother is, and wonder how

he could be so kind if their father is so wicked.

Soon some of them realize that they have been deceived by a steady

diet of lies about their father. As the truth of his love fully dawns upon

them, their joy is overwhelming, and they begin to live for the day when

they can be reunited with him. But sadly, some of the children choose to

believe their captor rather than their older brother, and thus the story has

a bittersweet ending.

ILLUMINATION:

"The enemy of good blinded the minds of men, so that

they looked upon God with fear; they thought of Him as severe and

unforgiving. Satan led men to conceive of God as a being whose chief

attribute is stern justice,—one who is a severe judge, a harsh, exacting

creditor. He pictured the Creator as a being who is watching with jealous

eye to discern the errors and mistakes of men, that He may visit judg-

ments upon them. It was to remove this dark shadow, by revealing to the

world the infinite love of God, that Jesus came to live among men."—

Steps to Christ ,

pp. 10, 11.

THINK IT THROUGH: Jesus came to tell the truth about God—to vindi-

cate His Father's character which had been smeared by Satan's lies. Do you

think that we, too, may help to vindicate God's character before the uni-

verse by telling the truth about Him with our lips and our lives?

NOTES:

II. THE MESSAGE TO WHICH WE WITNESS (John 1:7, 8).

SEARCH AND LEARN: John brings to his witness stand a steady parade of

witnesses to the deity, authority, and mission of Jesus. Using the Scriptures

provided, fill in the correct alphabetic designation in each blank in the exer-

cise below:

John 1:6-8—the witness of



A. The Holy Spirit

John 4:39; 6:14; 12:17—the witness of



B. The disciples

John 5:36—the witness of



C. Christ's works

John 5:37—the witness of



D. The Scriptures

John 5:39—the witness of



E. The Father

John 8:14, 18—the witness of



F . John the Baptist

John 15:26—the witness of



G. Those about Him

John 15:27—the witness of



H. Christ Himself

To John's list of witnesses we would add others—ourselves. "Ye are

my witnesses, saith the Lord" (Isa. 43:10). "Ye shall be witnesses unto

me" (Acts 1:8).

"As Christ is the channel for the revelation of the Father, so we are to

be the channel for the revelation of

Christ."—Thoughts From the Mount

of Blessing ,

p. 40.

The subject, the content, the message of our witnessing is Jesus Christ.

We sometimes become confused as to what we should witness about.

Often it is assumed that witnessing is limited to sharing with others our

doctrinal beliefs. We should never depreciate the importance of correct

doctrines. The Bible speaks of being "nourished up in the words of faith

and of good doctrine" (1 Tim. 4:6). But we should keep in mind that all

true doctrines come from Christ, should be centered on Christ, and

should lead to Christ. Merely sharing doctrinal information—the theory

of our religion—with others is not in the fullest sense witnessing. We may

call it teaching or indoctrinating, but should not call it witnessing. There

is a difference between sharing "the truth" and sharing "the Truth."

"A belief in the theory of the truth is not enough. To present this theory

to unbelievers does not constitute you a witness for

Christ."—Selected

Messages ,

bk. 1, pp. 370, 371.

What does make us witnesses for Christ? John 3:11; 1 John 4:12-14.

"All who would enter the city of God must during their earthly life set

forth Christ in their dealings. It is this that constitutes them the messen-

gers of Christ, His

witnesses."—Testimonies ,

vol. 9, p. 23.

Witnessing sets forth Christ. Jesus did not say, theory, information,

facts—if they be lifted up, they will draw all men unto Me. He said, "I, if

I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (John 12:32).

THINK IT THROUGH: Is it possible for me to share the factual informa-

tion of my religion with someone without knowing Christ? Is it possible for

me to introduce someone to Jesus if I do not know Him?

WED

Witnessing sometimes is assumed to be sharing with others our doctri-

nal beliefs. It also is sometimes assumed to be sharing with others the

plan of salvation. But again, there is a difference between telling about

how Jesus saves us, and letting others see what Jesus has done in us and

for us. We come back again to the fact that a witness is someone who

testifies about what he knows by personal observation and experience. In

his first epistle, John wrote: "That which was from the beginning, which

we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked

upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life. . . . That which

we have seen and heard declare we unto you" (1 John 1:1, 3).

ILLUMINATION:

"As witnesses for Christ, we are to tell what we know,

what we ourselves have seen and heard and felt. If we have been follow-

ing Jesus step by step, we shall have something right to the point to tell

concerning the way in which He has led us. We can tell how we have

tested His promise, and found the promise true. We can bear witness to

what we have known of the grace of Christ. This is the witness for which

our Lord calls, and for want of which the world is perishing."—The

De-

sire of Ages ,

p. 340.

"So everyone . . . can bear witness to that which he himself has seen

and heard and felt of the power of Christ. He can testify:

"I needed help, and I found it in Jesus. Every want was supplied, the

hunger of my soul was satisfied; the Bible is to me the revelation of

Christ. I believe in Jesus because He is to me a divine Saviour. I believe

in the Bible because I have found it to be the voice of God to my soul."—

The Ministry of Healing ,

p. 461.

III. THE METHOD OF WITNESSING (John 1:43-46).

"If we have tasted and seen that the Lord is good we shall have some-

thing to tell. Like Philip when he found the Saviour, we shall invite others

into His presence."—Steps

to Christ ,

p. 78.

THINK IT THROUGH: In order to really enjoy witnessing, we need to

know not only

what

to share, but

how

to share it. What methods should we

use in witnessing for Christ?

Many of us have attended witnessing classes or seminars to learn the

"how" of witnessing. Such classes sometimes are heavy on technique

and preparation. We learn how to be ready for tough questions in a Bible

study. We learn how to overcome objections. We role-play knocking on

doors. We memorize key texts and prophetic charts. Giving Bible stud-

ies, going house-to-house, distributing literature—all of these things are

important, needed, and vital. They are effective avenues of Christian ser-

vice. But no matter how beautiful, needed, and truthful the theory of our

faith is, the most effective way of witnessing is to share what we have

found in our personal experience with Jesus and have discovered for our-

selves in His Word. Many Christians are afraid to witness, fearing that

they do not know enough to answer all the questions people might ask.

But if we talk of witnessing in terms of what Jesus has done for us, we are

the experts on that subject.

111

You do not have to be able to diagram the 2300-day prophecy and know

200 key texts by memory and read Hebrew and Greek in order to be able

to tell someone else what Jesus means to you and what He has done for

you. You do not have to have the gift of teaching or be a thoroughgoing

extrovert or be able to speak with persuasive eloquence in order to share

the simple story of Christ's love and how you are responding to His love.

When people have fallen in love with Jesus, they will be ready and eager

to learn the last-day truths God has given us to share with them.

SEARCH AND LEARN: Many people fear witnessing to total strangers.

Read John 1:40, 41 and Mark 5:19. What conclusions do you draw from

these verses?

Some people say that they are afraid to witness. Perhaps even more

common is the excuse that we do not have the time. But "this objection is

often based on the misconception that witnessing is a major addition to

our daily schedule, of going out to spend perhaps hours talking to strang-

ers or passing out tracts. But for one who is in relationship with Jesus and

has something to tell, witnessing becomes a way of life. It does not neces-

sarily involve an extra amount of time to speak of Jesus to family and

friends in our daily contact with them."—Morris Venden,

To Know God ,

(Hagerstown, Md.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1983),

p. 69.

A Way of Life.

When we begin to see witnessing as not just certain nar-

rowly defined activities but as a way of life, we will begin to discover the

genuine pleasure that can be ours in witnessing. Our success in witness-

ing lies not so much in what we

say

as on what we

are .

Two primary methods of witnessing are available to us. We can wit-

ness by what we say and by how we live.

What can we learn from the effective way that Philip witnessed to Na-

thanael? John 1:46.

"Philip said to Nathanael, 'Come and see.' He did not ask him to ac-

cept another's testimony, but to behold Christ for himself. Now that

Jesus has ascended to heaven, His disciples are His representatives

among men, and one of the most effective ways of winning souls to Him

is in exemplifying His character in our daily life. Our influence upon oth-

ers depends not so much upon what we say as upon what we are. Men

may combat and defy our logic, they may resist our appeals; but a life of

disinterested love is an argument they cannot gainsay. A consistent life,

characterized by the meekness of Christ, is a power in the world."—The

Desire of Ages ,

pp. 141, 142.

If we have a growing, personal relationship with Jesus, we too will

want to speak to others about Him.

ILLUMINATION:

"No sooner is one converted than there is born within

him a desire to make known to others what a precious friend he has found

in Jesus."—The

Desire of Ages ,

p. 141.

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Those of us who truly know and love Jesus will be unable to keep silent

about Him. We somehow will find words to express how we feel about

our closest Friend and why we love and want to serve Him.

ILLUMINATION:

We witness not only with our lips but with our lives.

"The revelation of Christ in your own character will have a transforming

power upon all with whom you come in

contact."—Thoughts From the

Mount of Blessing ,

p. 129.

"There is an eloquence far more powerful than the eloquence of words

in the quiet, consistent life of a pure, true Christian. What a man is has

more influence than what he says."—The

Ministry of Healing ,

p. 469.

Just as Jesus came to reveal in His life the Father's love, it is our privi-

lege to reveal Christ's love in our lives. This does not mean that we will

not visit people in their homes, distribute missionary literature, or hold

Bible classes. It does mean that all that we do in these essential mission-

ary activities will have greater effect because we add to our words win-

some, Christlike lives.

FURTHER STUDY AND MEDITATION: Read Luke 10:1-24.

"When the matchless love of Christ is dwelt upon, His grace impresses

the

heart."—Colporteur Ministry ,

p. 42.

"There is nothing that Christ desires so much as agents who will repre-

sent to the world His Spirit and character. There is nothing that the world

needs so much as the manifestation through humanity of the Saviour's

love."—Christ's Object Lessons ,

p. 419.

SUMMARY:

When Jesus came to earth, He witnessed to His Father's

love in both word and deed. Now it is our privilege to be witnesses to the

Word and to the love and goodness of Christ. We share the message of

Christ's love through our words, our missionary activities, and through

the silent, powerful witness of our lives.

PERSONAL APPLICATION:

What is the gospel according to me? What are people likely to learn

about God by watching me and listening to me?

In witnessing, is the influence of my life enough at the place where I

work, or should I say something about Christ and my experience with

Him?

Try writing a letter to a few friends in which you tell them specifically

what Jesus has done for you or share your personal testimony with a

neighbor or friend this week.

NOTES:

Lord of the [Impossible



Lesson

THIS WEEK'S STUDY: The signs, or miracles, of Jesus in John's Gospel

as described in such passages as John 2:1-11; 5:1-16; and 11:1-44.

SA B

MEMORY TEXT: "Then those men, when they had seen the miracle



that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come

into the world" (John 6:14).

CENTRAL THOUGHT:

When Jesus walked this earth, He gave witness

to His Sonship by demonstrating that He was the undisputed Master over

the impossible. Devils, disease, and even death retreated before Him.

Food multiplied in His hands. The sea became a firm path beneath His

feet. Today, Jesus still is the Lord who can make possible what we think

of as impossible. Our frustration, hopelessness, and impotence vanish as

we learn to trust Christ to do in and through us what we cannot do.

OVERVIEW—Jesus as Lord

John 2:1-11

John 5:1-6

John 11:1-44

Over NATURE at

the wedding at Cana

Over DISEASE at

the pool of Bethesda

Over DEATH at

the tomb of Lazarus

INTRODUCTION:

How many of us have decided at some time or other

that certain people, problems, or circumstances might as well be written

off as impossible? How many of us have decided that all we can do about

an apparently hopeless situation is to give up on it?

It is as if we are saying that God can handle the big things—creating a

universe, cutting a highway through the sea, resurrecting the dead—but

that

our

problems are beyond His scope of interest.

The miracles Jesus performed during His ministry on earth were de-

signed to stimulate faith in Him—and this they did in those who were

open to the Spirit. But they served as well to drive home a special lesson.

In his Gospel, John brings to view a large number of human needs and

shows how Christ met them. He places side by side human inadequacy

and God's all-sufficiency.

John's record of Christ's miracles awakens and nourishes our faith to-

day just as the miracles did for his contemporaries. We, too, may learn,

as we study these miraculous deeds of Jesus, that His ability is available

to meet our inability—that where our resources end, His have only be-

gun.

This fact was underscored by John's fellow writers of the gospel story.

"With God," Matthew wrote, "all things are possible" (Matt. 19:26).

Stating the same idea in the negative, Luke declared that "with God noth-

ing shall be impossible" (Luke 1:37).

Iklb &Deo Kb

SUN

All things possible—nothing impossible. Do we really believe it? And if

so, why should we ever consider writing off anything or anyone as hope-

less?

"Take to Him everything that perplexes the mind. Nothing is too great

for Him to bear, for He holds up worlds, He rules over all the affairs of

the universe. Nothing that in any way concerns our peace is too small for

Him to notice. There is no chapter in our experience too dark for Him to

read; there is no perplexity too difficult for Him to unravel."—Steps

Christ ,

p. 100.

Do you face problems or circumstances in your life right now that seem

impossible? Jesus is the Lord of the impossible. Wisely, however, He

does not always intervene miraculously when we ask Him. But when He

knows it is best, He will.

This week we will study three of the miracles of Christ recorded only

by John. In each of these miracles Jesus does for people what they could

not possibly do for themselves. Each of them demonstrates His lordship

over powers or problems beyond human ability to change. We begin by

looking at Christ's first recorded miracle which took place at a wedding

reception in the small city of Cana.

I. LORD OVER NATURE—THE WEDDING AT CANA (John 2:1-11).

In studying this first of Christ's recorded miracles, let us begin at the

end—with the last verse of John's account of it (2:11).

SEARCH AND LEARN: List the two results of Jesus' first miracle as re-

corded in verse 11:

As with all His miracles, Jesus intended that this miracle should reveal

His glory. We could understand the word

glory

here to refer to Christ's

power—and it is true that His miracles demonstrated supernatural, su-

perhuman power. But quite likely the primary meaning of "glory" here is

that which Ellen White so often attached to it as she equated

glory

with

character .

(See, for example,

Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing ,

31;

andChrist's Object Lessons ,p.

414.)

Jesus intended that each of His miracles should be a revelation of His

character of love. Everything He ever did was for

us .

And since Jesus

came to reveal in His own life the character of the Father, one purpose of

each miracle was to reveal also the Father's love for His children. The

basic message implicit in each miracle was, "We care about your needs

and problems. We care about your happiness."

Another purpose of this first miracle was to build faith in Christ's disci-

ples. He knew that a fire storm of opposition would descend upon Him.

He knew that the rabbis and priests would heap doubt upon His ministry

because of their hatred for Him. The disciples would need strength to

stand firm under all this.

candid To elli.usffinv

Lesson

Why was Jesus present at this particular wedding?

According to Ellen White, the bride and groom at the wedding in Cana

were relatives of Joseph and Mary. (See

The Desire of Ages ,

p. 144.) As

such, Mary was involved in the arrangements for the reception, which, as

was customary, would last several days.

Jesus and His disciples also had been invited. Christ's baptism in the

Jordan and His conflict with Satan in the wilderness immediately pre-

ceded the wedding and Jesus was now the object of no little curiosity, as

attested by quiet whispers and sidelong glances.

Much to the consternation of those putting on the reception, the wine

supply ran out before the feast was over. Then "the mother of Jesus saith

unto him, They have no wine" (verse 3). This was not just a statement of

fact on Mary's part. She was hinting that Jesus might do something to

supply the need.

But "Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have Ito do with thee? mine

hour is not yet come" (verse 4).

REACT: Does Christ's reply to His mother in John 2:4 seem rather abrupt

and impersonal

you?

Actually, Christ's reply to His mother was respectful and courteous.

"The phrase, 'What have I to do with thee?' was a common conversa-

tional phrase. . . . It means: 'Don't worry; you don't quite understand

what is going on; leave things to me, and I will settle them in my own

way.' Jesus was simply telling Mary to leave things to him, that he would

have his own way of dealing with the situation."—William Barclay,

The

Gospel of John , vol.

1, (Phila.: The Westminster Press, 1975), pp. 97, 98.

Concerning the second part of Jesus' reply to Mary, Ellen White ex-

plains that, "In saying to Mary that His hour had not yet come, Jesus was

replying to her unspoken thought,—to the expectation she cherished in

common with her people. She hoped that He would reveal Himself as the

Messiah, and take the throne of Israel."—The

Desire of Ages ,

p. 147.

Jesus proceeded to ask that six large stone waterpots be filled with

water. Commentators disagree on the exact measure of the "firkin" men-

tioned in verse 6, but most put it at around eight or nine gallons. At "two

or three firkins apiece" each waterpot must have held in the neighbor-

hood of 20 to 30 gallons, making a total of about 120 to 180 gallons. This

would indicate a large attendance at the reception.

"He saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the

feast" (verse 8).

Having tasted the water made wine, the governor called the bride-

groom aside and said, "Every man at the beginning doth set forth good

wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou

halt kept the good wine until now" (verse 10).

Was the wine Jesus made fermented or unfermented?

"The wine which Christ provided for the feast, and that which he gave

the disciples as a symbol of His own blood, was the pure juice of the

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grape. . . . It was Christ who in the Old Testament gave the warning to

Israel, 'Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is

deceived thereby is not wise.' Prov. 20:1. And He Himself provided no

such beverage."—The

Desire of Ages ,

p. 149.

This first miracle revealed Jesus as Lord over nature. From a human

standpoint, turning water into wine is impossible. It is contrary to nature.

But Jesus is Lord of the impossible—Lord over nature itself.

The miracle at Cana teaches us something else. "The gifts of Jesus are

ever fresh and new. The feast that He provides for the soul never fails to

give satisfaction and joy. . . . There can be no failure of supply. If you

abide in Him, the fact that you receive a rich gift today insures the recep-

tion of a richer gift tomorrow."—The

Desire of Ages ,

p. 148.

Our supplies, our resources, may fail, but Christ's are inexhaustible.

II. LORD OVER DISEASE—THE POOL OF BETHESDA (John 5:1-16).

All of us need healing. Some of us need healing of body, mind, or emo-

tions. All of us need healing of the soul.

In considering this dramatic story, we will focus on the miracle itself

and not on the controversy that followed it. As can be said about all of

Christ's miracles, the healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda illus-

trates what can happen when the supreme power of Jesus meets the utter

helplessness of humanity.

SEARCH AND LEARN: Read John 5:4. Do you think this verse is stated as

fact or as a reflection of a commonly believed legend of the time? (See

The

Desire of Ages,

p. 201.)

When Jesus arrived at the pool of Bethesda one Sabbath morning, He

saw it surrounded with sufferers hoping to be cured. According to Ellen

White, He longed to heal every one of them, but "He knew that such an

act of healing would so excite the prejudice of the Jews as to cut short His

work."—The

Desire of Ages ,

p. 202.

What one case of supreme wretchedness was Jesus unable to pass by?

How long had the man been suffering? John 5:5, 6.

Jesus was moved to action even though the man's "disease was in a

great degree the result of his own sin.

"—The Desire of Ages ,

p. 202.

"Wilt thou be made whole?" Jesus asked (verse 6).

The man protested that whenever the waters of the pool moved, he had

no one to help him in. Others less afflicted than he always stepped in first.

"Rise," Jesus commanded, "take up thy bed, and walk" (verse 8).

THINK IT THROUGH: 'Fry to place yourself in the situation of the man

beside the pool. Could you, would you, have responded to Jesus' command

as he did?

"Immediately," the Gospel says (verse 9), "the man was made whole,

and took up his bed, and walked." "Without question he sets his will to

obey the command of Christ, and all his muscles repond to his will."—

The Desire of Ages ,

p. 203.

This thrilling miracle confirms Christ's lordship over disease. It proves

that with Jesus, there are

hopeless cases.

Today, Jesus is no less able and no less willing to heal us of our phys-

ical diseases. We are invited often in His Word to come to Him with our

requests for healing—requests, not demands. We must always ask for

healing subject to His will, realizing that He knows what is best for us.

Leslie Weatherhead, in his book,

The Will of God

(Nashville:

Abingdon Press, 1944), discusses what he calls the three wills of God: His

intentional, or original, will; His circumstantial will; and His ultimate

will. God's original will (before sin) and His ultimate will (after sin is no

more) are the same—for instance, that no one ever suffer from disease.

But in His circumstantial will (during the reign of sin)—as difficult as it

may sometimes be for us to understand it—He may not always be able to

do the best for all concerned by healing us. But we may rest assured that,

if it can best glorify God, if it is the most wise and loving thing He can do

for us, and if we are willing to obey His laws (including the laws of

health), God

win

heal us.

Of even greater concern to Jesus than our physical healing is our spiri-

tual healing. Every request for spiritual healing is granted immediately.

To understand more clearly what Jesus wants to do in bringing us spiri-

tual healing, read the quotation from

The Desire of Ages,

page 203 in the

"Further Study and Meditation" section of this week's lesson.

WED

III. LORD OVER DEATH: THE TOMB OF LAZARUS (John 11:1-44).

In our last section we observed that sometimes it is possible for God to

be best glorified by our patient endurance of illness rather than by our

healing. The experience of Job presents one of the chief examples of this

principle in Scripture.

What has been said concerning Job also was true of Lazarus of Beth-

any. When Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that Lazarus was sick,

He responded, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God,

that the Son of God might be glorified thereby" (John 11:4).

Not unto death? Did not Lazarus die? He did, but the death Lazarus

died as a result of his illness was neither the eternal oblivion of the second

death nor the long night of rest in the tomb while awaiting the resurrec-

tion day at Christ's second coming. It was instead a brief four-day rest

deliberately permitted by Jesus in order that He might dramatically dem-

onstrate His glory.

SEARCH AND LEARN: This study in John 11 is full of interesting verses.

Locate the following and list the correct verses in the blanks:

•

The shortest verse in the English Bible



•

One of Christ's great "I AM" statements



•

Martha's first words to Jesus after the death of Lazarus



•

Mary's first words to Jesus after the death of Lazarus



OMNI

As this crowning miracle of Jesus is so well known, we will not follow

the narrative here. Instead, let us focus on some of the significant

thoughts that arise from a study of this passage.

As you have discovered already in the "Search and Learn" exercise

above, the first words of both Mary and Martha to Jesus when they met

Him after their brother's death were identical: "Lord, if You had been

here, Lazarus would not have died."

This is confirmed by Ellen White: "Had Christ been in the sickroom,

Lazarus would not have died; for Satan would have had no power over

him. Death could not have aimed his dart at Lazarus in the presence of the

Life-giver."—The

Desire of Ages ,

p. 528.

What is the meaning of these words in John 11:26: "Whosoever liveth

and believeth in me

shall never die.

Believest thou this?" (Emphasis sup-

plied.)

Seventh-day Adventists do not accept the teaching that human beings

are immortal by nature—that at death the soul survives the body and re-

mains conscious and aware. On the other hand, we need to make a dis-

tinction between eternal life and immortality as we consider the signifi-

cance of Christ's teaching that those who live and believe in Him "shall

never die."

There is indeed a sense in which those who are

Jesus never die.

"Christ became one flesh with us, in order that we might become one

spirit with Him. It is by virtue of this union that we are to come forth from

the grave ,—not merely as a manifestation of the power of Christ, but be-

cause, through faith, His life

has become ours .

Those who see Christ in

His true character, and receive Him into the heart,

have

everlasting life. It

is through the Spirit that Christ dwells in us; and the Spirit of God, re-

ceived into the heart by faith, is the

beginning of the life eternal."—The

Desire of Ages ,

p. 388. (Emphasis supplied.)

The life that Christ imparts to believers is eternal life. Paul said, "I live;

yet not I, but Christ liveth in me" (Gal. 2:20). So, in some mysterious way

that we may not fully understand, but must nonetheless accept as true,

our life is replaced at conversion by a new life—the eternal life of Jesus,

the life that He lives in and through us. "For ye are dead, and your life

[the eternal life of Jesus] is hid with Christ in God" (Col. 3:3). Jesus said,

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting

life" (John 6:47). (See also 1 John 5:11, 12.)

When we die, the eternal life of Jesus which has become ours remains

hidden with Him in God until the day of the resurrection. As long as we

live in Christ and His Spirit dwells within us, we

have

His kind of life—

eternal life. But we do not yet have immortality. We still are subject to the

first death that Jesus called a "sleep." Immortality is given to Christ's

people at the second coming. (See 1 Cor. 15:52-55.)

INTERPRET: In your own words, describe what you think Jesus meant to

convey by describing death as "sleep." (See verses 11-14.)

We also learn from this miracle that death is a defeated enemy. In the

resurrection of Lazarus, and later in the resurrection of Jesus Himself,

we read the promise of our own resurrection should we sleep in the grave

awhile before He returns.

No tomb can be built that will keep its captive when Jesus shouts,

"Come forth!" He is Lord even of the greatest impossibility of them all—

that a human being, having died, should rise to live again. What love!

What power! What a God!

FURTHER STUDY AND MEDITATION:

"By sin we have been severed

from the life of God. Our souls are palsied. Of ourselves we are no more

capable of living a holy life than was the impotent man capable of walk-

ing. There are many who realize their helplessness, and who long for that

spiritual life which will bring them into harmony with God; they are

vainly striving to obtain it. . . . Let these desponding, struggling ones look

up. The Saviour is bending over the purchase of His blood, saying with

inexpressible tenderness and pity, 'Wilt thou be made whole?' He bids

you arise in health and peace. Do not wait to feel that you are made

whole. Believe His word, and it will be fulfilled. Put your will on the side

of Christ. Will to serve Him, and in acting upon His word you will receive

strength. Whatever may be the evil practice, the master passion which

through long indulgence binds both soul and body, Christ is able and longs

to deliver."—The

Desire of Ages ,

p. 203.

SUMMARY:

The miracles of Jesus generated faith in His divinity. They

provided strong evidence that He was exactly who He claimed to be. But

to us today, who may not need so much to be convinced of His divinity,

Christ's miracles have an added significance. They tell us that He is the

One who can do for us that which we cannot do for ourselves. They tell us

that as long as we trust to His awesome power, nothing is ever hopeless or

impossible. They tell us that Jesus delights to show His love for us by

exercising His power on our behalf.

APPLICATION:

Will Jesus refuse to heal us if our illness is the result of our own sin?

Will He refuse to help us with our problems if they are our own fault?

What does the miracle at the pool of Bethesda say to you about this?

When the supply of wine ran out at the wedding reception in Cana,

Jesus replenished it. Have you run out of something lately—courage,

health, money, peace in your home? Can you trust Jesus to renew your

supply according to your needs?

Have you ever prayed for healing—for yourself or someone else—and

your prayer seemed not to be answered? How did that make you feel

about God? How have you learned to accept His will?

As Lord of the impossible, Jesus has power to solve any problem. Do

you believe that in some cases He may not solve your problem or take it

away, but instead, give you something just as valuable—courage and

grace to live with the problem?

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Congre

to of One

( 1

•

THIS WEEK'S STUDY: The personal conversation of Jesus with individ-

ual people, as recorded in such passages as John 3:1-21; 4:5-42; and 21:15-

23.

MEMORY TEXT: "Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever

drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of

the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I

shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into ever-

lasting life" (John 4:13, 14).

SA©

CENTRAL THOUGHT:

Jesus always has been and still is tremendously

interested in people. He enjoys relating to people on a one-to-one basis as

well as in groups. He likes to get to know us individually. While minister-

ing here on earth, He often shared truth with just one person or with a

small group. Some of His most profound thoughts were communicated to

one-person audiences. Some of His greatest sermons were delivered to a

congregation of one.

OVERVIEW—Three Personal Conversations

John 3:1-21

John 4:5-42

John 21:15-23

The night visit

of Nicodemus

The woman of

Samaria

Peter changes careers

INTRODUCTION:

Fifteen-year-old Charles trudged along in the falling

snow on his way to church. After visiting a different church every week-

end, trying to find one where he could learn how to be a Christian, he was

almost in despair.

When he saw that the storm was growing fierce, he realized that he

would never make it to the church he had chosen; so he turned aside into

an obscure chapel. Stepping in, he sat down and waited. Presently a tall,

thin man shuffled to the pulpit.

"Looks as if our minister has been held up by the weather," he began.

"Reckon you'll have to put up with me. Now I'll take a text like all

preachers do," the homely man continued. "Look unto me, and be ye

saved, all the ends of the earth" (Isa. 45:22).

"Why, he can't even pronounce his words properly," young Charles

thought to himself as he shivered in his pew. Looking around, he noticed

that only a handful of worshipers were scattered throughout the sanc-

tuary.

The substitute preacher apparently knew nothing about how to preach.

Stumbling for something to say, he began to repeat the words of his text

in various ways.

"The text says 'Look,' " he droned. "Now, lookin' don't take a great

deal of pains. It ain't liftin' your foot or finger. It's just `Look'."

He repeated the same thought several more times in different ways,

and the bored audience shifted uncomfortably in their pews. As the

speaker collected his thoughts, he spotted Charles.

"Young man, you look miserable," he shouted. "Young man, look to

Jesus Christ. Look! Look!"

Charles looked, with his mind's eye, and suddenly he saw. As he would

describe it later, "I saw at once the way of salvation. I looked until I

could have almost looked my eyes away. The darkness rolled away, and I

saw the sun."

So it was that a nervous, awkward, fill-in preacher brought life in

Christ to Charles H. Spurgeon, who became known as the prince of

preachers.

With millions to be reached for Christ, it may sometimes seem to us

that communicating the gospel to only a small group—or even to one per-

son at a time—is an appallingly inefficient waste of time. But Jesus, too,

had the entire world to reach. Yet He spent large amounts of His time

ministering to small groups and in one-to-one encounters. Most of His

time and effort, in fact, went not to mass outreach but to pouring His

knowledge and values into just twelve men.

Personal labor was Christ's method. "His work was largely made up of

personal interviews. He had a faithful regard for the one-soul audience.

Through that one soul the message was often extended to thousands."—

Christ's Object Lessons,

p. 229.

Jesus did not save His most important messages for His largest

crowds. In fact, many of His deepest insights were shared with just a

few—or with one person alone.

This week we will review three of Christ's one-person encounters as

recorded by John, focusing especially on the truths that He shared with

each of them.

SUN

I. THE NIGHT VISIT OF NICODEMUS (John 3:1-21).

Nicodemus the Pharisee, a member of the ruling body, the Sanhedrin,

was intensely curious about this Jesus of Nazareth whose words and

deeds were so full of power.

Having heard Jesus speak, Nicodemus studied again the prophecies of

the coming Messiah and became convinced that Jesus was indeed the

Anointed One. He wanted very much to have a talk with Christ but knew

that if he went to see Jesus openly he would be ridiculed and denounced

by his fellow Jewish rulers.

So Nicodemus sought out Jesus at night. "Rabbi," he began, "we

know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these

miracles that thou doest, except God be with him" (verse 2).

Trying not to let Jesus know about his convictions, Nicodemus re-

ferred to Him simply as a "teacher come from God."

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What did Jesus do for Nicodemus that was far better than simply satisfy-

ing his curiosity and his desire for a religious dialogue? John 3:3.

Understanding the conviction resting upon Nicodemus and his true

purpose for coming, Jesus came directly to the point. "What you need,"

He told Nicodemus, "is to be born again."

ILLUMINATION:

"He said to Nicodemus, It is not theoretical knowl-

edge you need so much as spiritual regeneration. You need not to have

your curiosity satisfied, but to have a new heart."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 171.

THINK IT THROUGH: Is it possible to avoid becoming personally in-

volved with Christ by exploring and discussing the theory of religion? Is it

possible to hold Jesus off at arm's length by talking

about

Him rather than

to Him?

What kind of reasoning prompted Nicodemus to ask the questions re-

corded in John 3:4?

Nicodemus knew that Christ's reference to being born again was not to

be taken literally. He knew that Jesus was talking about a complete trans-

formation of his inner being. Stung and irritated at the implication that his

Jewish blood and his good works as a Pharisee were not enough to

guarantee him a place in God's kingdom, Nicodemus tried to argue that

the kind of change Jesus speaks of is impossible.

It is as if Nicodemus in verse 4 is saying, "It would be terrific to be able

to be radically changed in the way You are suggesting—to start all over

again. There is nothing I would like more. But let's face it—that is a sheer

impossibility. Can physical birth be repeated? Of course not. So you

might as well tell me to go back and be born from my mother's womb as

to tell me to be spiritually reborn." Instead of trying to meet his argu-

ment, Jesus simply pressed home His point with greater force, as we read

in verses five through eight. Finally, in verse nine, Nicodemus' question

no longer was, "Is the new birth possible?" but rather,

"How

is it

possible?"

The heart of Christ's answer on how to be born again can be found in

verses 14-17. He told Nicodemus that the Son of man must be lifted up so

that His love could be clearly seen and experienced.

ILLUMINATION:

"How, then, are we to be saved? . . . The light shining

from the cross reveals the love of God. His love is drawing us to Himself.

If we do not resist this drawing, we shall be led to the foot of the cross in

repentance for the sins that have crucified the Saviour. Then the Spirit of

God through faith produces a new life in the soul."—The

Desire of Ages,

pp. 175, 176.

THINK IT THROUGH: The new birth is the result of beholding Jesus and

His love lifted up before us. What can we do to be sure that Christ is lifted

up in our lives?

One of the most vital subjects any human mind can contemplate is that

of the new birth. Yet Jesus first revealed it to just one man. "In the inter-

view with Nicodemus, Jesus unfolded the plan of salvation and His mis-

sion to the world. In none of His subsequent discourses did He explain so

fully, step by step, the work necessary to be done in the hearts of all who

would inherit the kingdom of heaven."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 176.

II. THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA AT JACOB'S WELL (John 4:5-42).

The conversation of Jesus with the Samaritan woman follows the same

pattern as did His conversation with Nicodemus:

The conversation is initiated.

Jesus makes a statement.

The statement is taken in the wrong sense.

Jesus remakes the statement even more vividly.

It is still misunderstood.

Then Jesus compels His hearer to discover and face the truth.

SEARCH AND LEARN: See if you can locate the verses or passages in

John 4 that correspond to numbers two through six above:

Verses 7-9.

Again, we will not follow verse-by-verse this familiar narrative. In-

stead, let us notice a few interesting lessons that emerge from this story.

Notice the reality of Christ's humanity. "Jesus therefore, being

wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well" (verse 6). "He became

flesh, even as we are. He was hungry and thirsty and weary. He was

sustained by food and refreshed by sleep. He shared the lot of man; yet

He was the blameless Son of God."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 311.

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

How did Jesus intitiate His conversation with the Samaritan woman?

Why do you think He chose this particular approach? John 4:7.

A 400-year-old feud between the Jews and the

Samaritans still smol-

dered, as the woman would make clear in verse

9: "The Jews have no

dealings with the Samaritans." Because of this, Jesus knew that it

was

unlikely that the woman would

strike up a conversation with Him; in fact,

she went about filling her waterpot as if He were not even there. And

Jesus knew that the woman would neither offer nor ask of Him any fa-

vors. So He asked a favor instead of offering one.

rip

THINK IT THROUGH: Jesus "was searching to fmd the key" to the Sa-

maritan woman's heart.

(The Desire of Ages,

p. 184). Do we follow His ex-

ample—carefully studying, observing, and listening to the people we would

win to Christ in order to fmd the key to their hearts?

Another thing we learn from this story is that Jesus constantly worked

to tear down barriers. His love broke through the wall of hostility that

separated the Jews and the Samaritans. Small wonder that the Samaritan

woman was astonished that Christ should speak to her. Yet Jesus spoke

not only to a Samaritan woman but to a Samaritan woman of questionable

character. All barriers that divide humanity—race, sex, nationality, so-

cial or economic standing—come crashing down before the omnipotent

love of Jesus Christ.

What significance do you

see

in what Jesus said to the woman about the

water of life? John 4:10-15.

Jesus indeed is the "living water"; and when He lives in us He is like a

well of water within us, constantly satisfying our spiritual thirst.

ILLUMINATION:

"He who seeks to quench his thirst at the fountains of

this world will drink only to thirst again. Everywhere men are unsat-

isfied. They long for something to supply the need of the soul. Only One

can meet that want. The need of the world, 'the Desire of all nations,' is

Christ."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 187.

III. PETER CHANGES CAREERS (John 21:15-23).

As a result of his conversation with Jesus on the shore of the Sea of

Galilee, Peter changed his career from fisherman to shepherd. True, he

would continue to fish for souls (see Matt. 4:18, 19), but now Jesus placed

upon him the special ministry of caring for His sheep.

SEARCH AND LEARN: Fill in the remainder of the chart below, compar-

ing the three exchanges between Peter and Jesus in John 21:15-17.

Verse

Christ's Question

Peter's Response

Christ's Commission

"Lovest thou

me more

than these?"

"Yea, Lord; thou

knowest that I

love thee"

"Feed my sheep"

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"Three times Peter had openly denied his Lord, and three times Jesus

drew from him the assurance of his love and loyalty, pressing home that

pointed question, like a barbed arrow to his wounded heart. Before the

assembled disciples Jesus revealed the depth of Peter's repentance, and

showed how thoroughly humbled was the once boasting disciple."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 812.

In their first exchange, Jesus asked Peter if he loved his Lord more

than did the other disciples. Not long before Peter had declared,

"Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be

offended" (Matt. 26:33). In his answer to Christ's question, Peter gave

evidence that he

was

a changed man. There was no boasting that time—

just a calm and sincere statement of his love for his Lord. And Jesus re-

plied, "Feed my lambs" (verse 15).

"The first work that Christ entrusted to Peter on restoring him to the

ministry was to feed the lambs. . . . It called him to minister to those who

were young in the faith."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 812.

Again, Jesus questioned Peter—this time without asking him whether

he loved his Lord more than did the other disciples. Again Peter's re-

sponse was genuine and free of pride. Christ's commission to Peter then

became, "Feed my sheep" (verse 16).

One last time Jesus put His question to Peter. Fearing now that Jesus

doubted his love, and well aware that Jesus certainly had good reason to

distrust him, Peter earnestly replied, "Lord, thou knowest all things;

thou knowest that I love thee" (verse 17). As before, Jesus told Peter to

feed His sheep.

ILLUMINATION:

"The Saviour's manner of dealing with Peter had a

lesson for him and for his brethren. It taught them to meet the transgres-

sor with patience, sympathy, and forgiving love. Although Peter had de-

nied his Lord, the love which Jesus bore him never faltered. Just such

love should the undershepherd feel for the sheep and lambs committed to

his care. Remembering his own weakness and failure, Peter was to deal

with his flock as tenderly as Christ had dealt with him.

"The question that Christ had put to Peter was significant. He men-

tioned only one condition of discipleship and service. `Lovest thou Me?'

He said. This is the essential qualification. Though Peter might possess

every other, yet without the love of Christ he could not be a faithful shep-

herd over the Lord's flock. Knowledge, benevolence, eloquence, grati-

tude, and zeal are all aids in the good work; but without the love of Jesus

in the heart, the work of the Christian minister is a failure."—The

Desire

of Ages,

p. 815.

Later in Peter's life, what name would he use in referring to Jesus?

(See

1 Peter 5:2-4.)

Having revealed Peter's humility and repentance to the other disciples,

Jesus "walked alone" with Peter, according to Ellen White. (See

The

Desire of Ages,

p. 815.) In John 21:18, 19 Jesus gently revealed to Peter

how he would eventually die. And "when at last brought to the cross, he

was, at his own request, crucified with his head downward. He thought it

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too great an honor to suffer in the same way as his Master

did."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 816.

What a change we see in impetuous, independent Peter! In the years to

come the effectiveness of this personal conversation with Jesus would be

witnessed by those to whom he ministered.

FURTHER STUDY AND MEDITATION:

After his nighttime interview with Jesus, Nicodemus made two later

appearances in John's Gospel—John 7:50, 51; and 19:38-42. Read these

two passages to see if you can find evidence that he

was

born again.

Consider again the value Jesus attached to working with individuals

or small groups:

"The Saviour did not wait for congregations to assemble. Often He

began His lessons with only a few gathered about Him, but one by one

the passers-by paused to listen, until a multitude heard with wonder and

awe the words of God through the heaven-sent Teacher. The worker for

Christ should not feel that he cannot speak with the same earnestness to a

few hearers as to a larger company. There may be only one to hear the

message; but who can tell how far-reaching will be its influence? It

seemed a small matter, even to His disciples, for the Saviour to spend His

time upon a woman of Samaria. But He reasoned more earnestly and elo-

quently with her than with kings, councilors, or high priests. The lessons

He gave to that woman have been repeated to the earth's remotest

bounds."—The

Desire of Ages,

pp. 194, 195.

SUMMARY:

John makes clear that Jesus enjoyed one-to-one encounters

with people. He still does. Through His Word and through prayer, we too

may enjoy private two-way communication with Christ today just as truly

as did Nicodemus, the woman of Samaria, and Peter. The fact that Jesus

placed such great value on personal encounters should certainly weigh

heavily with us as we consider how to go about our own soul-winning

efforts.

APPLICATION:

You cannot live if you have never been born. And you cannot live the

Christian life if you have never been born again. Yet many people try. If

you have been born again, contrast your efforts to live the Christian life

before and after your new birth.

What can you do to help ensure that new members who come into your

church are definitely born again, not just indoctrinated?

You may be afraid to talk to a large crowd about spiritual things, but do

you think you could comfortably share Jesus with just one other per-

son? Do you believe that if you asked Jesus to bring you together with

just one seeking person a week, He would do so?

Can you think of ways to make other people thirsty for the water of

life?

Even though Jesus knew the sordid details of the Samaritan woman's

life He still loved and accepted her. In spite of whatever you may have

done, do you believe that Jesus loves and accepts you fully?

Extrava

t Love



1 1 1

THIS WEEK'S STUDY: The love of God in John's Gospel as expressed in

such verses as John 3:16; 13:34, 35; 15:13.

MEMORY TEXT: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his

only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,

but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

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CENTRAL THOUGHT:

In expressing His love to us, God has been

extravagant, lavish, profuse. Attempting to discover the bounds of His

love is futile, for it is limitless. But something of its vastness can be seen

in the gift of His Son. After demonstrating this love in action, Jesus said

that His followers could be identified by how they loved one another.

OUTLINE:

I. Extravagant love (John 3:16).

H. No greater love (John 15:13).

III. Channels of love (John 13:34, 35).

INTRODUCTION:

Businessmen are keenly interested in "the bottom

line." After balancing earnings against expenses, is the figure at the bot-

tom of the column black or red? A profit or a loss?

The bottom line on God's record always is red. Outgo always exceeds

income. When it comes to love God is a most generous spender. As

God's gift, Jesus gave Himself away, almost recklessly investing His life

for us.

Jesus did not give only as He received. He did not love only those who

loved Him. He did not parcel out His affection only to those who could

return it.

Those about Him could neglect, reject, and ignore Him. They could

taunt, abuse, and betray Him. They could scourge, wound, and crucify

Him. But to all of this, His only response was more love. The worst that

people could do to Him could never exceed His best. Where hatred

abounded, His love abounded even more.

Our world today is filled with people hungry and searching for love.

Love is the major theme of most popular songs and of many books, films,

and other forms of entertainment. But what often passes for love merely

is a faint reflection or even a perversion of real love. Human love is

tainted with selfishness. It gives in order to get. Love often is confused

with physical attraction or emotional excitement. The ardor of human

love cools easily when frustrating obstacles are encountered—and dies

out if not reciprocated.

The love of God is superior to human love in every way. Through the

prophets God has tried to tell the human race what His love is like.

Through the sanctuary and its services God's love has been illustrated.

Through His repeated and miraculous intervention on their behalf He has

tried to tell His people that He cares for them.

But not until Jesus came did human beings see with their own eyes

what God's love is like when lived out before them. To some God's law of

love may have seemed as cold and rigid as the tables of stone upon which

it was written until the law was lived out in human flesh. God knew that

love in action would be more convincing than love in word.

Written now for each of us to read is the record of that brief time when

Heaven came down and demonstrated to us what love really is like. Now

all that is called love here on this earth may be measured and tested

against that demonstration of the genuine article.

Most gratifying to each of us should be the realization that we need not

settle for the deficiencies and inadequacies of human love. Just as Jesus

was a voluntary channel through whom the Father poured out His love to

His children, we can be channels today for the communication of Christ's

love to those around us.

This week we are attempting a virtual impossibility. John himself found

human language hopelessly inadequate to describe fully God's love and

could only call upon his readers to behold it for themselves as it was ex-

hibited in Christ's life and death. (See 1 John 3:1.)

In our study this week, let us not attempt so much to describe or ana-

lyze God's love as to simply behold it as it is revealed to us in John's

Gospel. As you study, contemplate the crimson drops at the foot of the

cross as they are found in the incomparable words of a text you may have

memorized years ago.

NOTES:

I. EXTRAVAGANT LOVE (John 3:16).

THINK IT THROUGH: For many, this text is the best-loved verse in the

Bible. On the line below, write down what it means to you:

The words of John 3:16 form part of Jesus' answer to the question

Nicodemus asked about how the new birth could take place. "As Moses

lifted up the serpent in the wilderness," Christ explained, "even so must

the Son of man be lifted up" (verse 14).

Then in verses 15 and 16 Jesus said that whoever saw Him lifted up and.

believed in Him would be saved. Jesus knew that the only thing powerful

enough to turn anyone from self to Christ would be a clear view of God's

love. The clearest demonstration of God's love this world has ever seen

was the gift of God's only-begotten Son.

SUN

SEARCH AND LEARN: This magnificent verse is built around ten great

words. These ten words can be divided into five significant pairs. Choose

pairs of words from the list on the right which best correspond to the five

ideas stated below and write them in the blanks provided:

The supreme Giver and the supreme Gift.



God

Loved

World

The two expressions of divine benevolence.



Gave

Son

Whosoever

The objects of God's love and giving.



Believeth

Perish

Have

What all are invited to do in response.



Life

The two extremes of human destiny.

Distilled in the words of John 3:16 is the very essence of the gospel.

Although it doubtless is the most familiar verse in God's Word, it also is

one of the most instructive.

What are some of the lessons available for us in John 3:16?

We are told that the initiative in our salvation lies with God. Some-

times the idea gains support that God is rather impatient with the rebels

here on earth and that only through Christ's intercession is He reluctantly

persuaded to forgive. A common idea is that Jesus succeeded in doing

something to change God's attitude toward humanity from that of con-

demnation to that of forgiveness. But John 3:16 clearly states that

"God

loved . . . so much thathe gave" (NEB, emphasis added).

We learn that God's love is extravagant. It embraced "the world"—

every member of the human race. No one has been left out of His saving

provision. And God's love also is extravagant in that He gave away "his

only begotten Son"—the greatest gift He could possibly give.

We notice that the words that Jesus used here are all-inclusive: "the

world" and "whosoever." Everlasting life, then, is available for all of us.

John 3:16 is a verse not only to be appreciated but to be

appropriated .

are privileged to personalize this verse. As the children often sing in Sab-

bath School, " 'Whosoever' surely meaneth me."

We notice in John 3:16 the simplicity of the gospel. God does not

ask us to master the complexities of theological thought and terminology

in order for salvation to be ours. Neither does He ask us to travel a path

of ritual and involved religious duty to arrive at heaven's doors. In the

stark simplicity of John 3:16, everlasting life is the result of believing in

Jesus—trusting fully in Him. If all that we had of the Bible were this one

verse, it would be enough for even a child to find the path to life.

5. Others:



THINK IT THROUGH: The words "only begotten" in John 3:16 are

translated from a word meaning "unique"—the only one of its kind. In

what ways do you see Jesus as being unique?

II. NO GREATER LOVE (John 15:13).

January 13, 1982—Air Florida's flight 90 roared off the runway of

Washington's National Airport, straining skyward. But the extra weight

of ice on wings and fuselage was too much. The airplane shuddered, then

began losing altitude. Seconds later it slammed into the Fourteenth Street

Bridge and plunged into the icy Potomac River.

Although several years now have passed, those who watched the tele-

vision coverage of that disaster will retain one scene in their memory.

As a rescue helicopter lowered a line to survivors in the water, one man

grasped the line and passed it to someone else nearby in the freezing

river. Soon the helicopter returned and again lowered the line to him.

Again he passed the line to a struggling fellow passenger.

Five times the line was brought within his reach—and five times he

passed it to someone else. When the helicopter returned the sixth time,

the man was gone.

Such a singular display of selflessness, that a man should willingly give

his own life that others might live, brought forth an outpouring of admira-

tion and wonder for the anonymous "man in the water."

Later, he would be positively identified by the U. S. Coast Guard as 46-

year-old Arland D. Williams, Jr., a bank examiner from Atlanta, Georgia.

On June 6, 1983, American President Ronald Reagan posthumously

awarded him the Coast Guard Gold Lifesaving Medal. Arland Williams

died for those who were strangers to him.

If it takes great love for a person to die for his friends (John 15:13)—or

even for total strangers—what kind of love will lead a person to die for his

enemies? Rom. 5:7, 8.

While we were yet sinners—while we were rebels and fugitives from

the heart of love—Christ died for us. Such love is beyond comprehen-

sion. It is unparalleled. This universe will never see greater love than that

displayed when Jesus willingly laid down His life that we might live.

What is the greatest evidence of God's love for us? 1 John 4:9, 10.

The devil has done and will continue to do all that he can to keep sin-

ners from beholding the love of God exhibited in the gift of His Son on

Calvary. He has deceived some into believing that the death of Jesus was

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the unnecessary fate of a not-so-skillful political activist. He has deluded

others by suggesting that Christ's death was simply the martyrdom of an

exceptional human teacher at the hands of jealous religious leaders.

Satan tempts even those who believe that Jesus died for sinners to

think that Jesus has somehow lost interest in them—that He no longer

cares.

How does the cross answer once and for all Satan's charges that God no

longer cares for His people? Rom. 8:32.

The love that drove Jesus to the cross—the love that drove the Father

to give up His only Son—that love has not abated in the least. Were it

necessary, God would not hesitate a moment to give His Son again for

even one sinner.

III. CHANNELS OF LOVE (John 13:34, 35).

Speaking in the upper room to His disciples for the last time, what special

commandment did Jesus give them? Verse 34.

Jesus' commandment was not given just to the disciples. He intended it

for His followers throughout the history of the church. But have you ever

known a fellow Christian who was difficult—yes, nearly impossible—to

love? Has someone in the church darkened your reputation behind your

back? Has someone—either through malice or lack of tact—dealt a heavy

blow to your already fragile sense of self-worth? Has someone treated

you with such contempt as to ignore you totally?

Jesus says we must love even the unlovable. But how? The natural

tendency of the human heart when faced with a command of God is to

respond as did Israel at Sinai:

"All

the words which the Lord hath said

will we do" (Ex. 24:3). Ten Commandments, Lord? No problem. Just

say the word, and it is as good as done. But their firm resolve soon

melted. They forsook their allegiance to the Lamb of God for a calf of

gold.

Before we can obey any of God's commands, we must

choose

to obey.

But choosing to obey is not enough to make obedience possible. "To will

[choose] is present with me;" Paul wrote, "but how to perform that

which is good I find not" (Rom. 7:18).

Some have said that "love is a decision." To the extent that this

thought attempts to define love as far more than mere feeling or emotion,

it is valuable. But love also is more than a decision or a choice to love.

ILLUMINATION: "When

men are bound together, not by force or self-

interest, but by love, they show the working of an influence that is above

every human influence. Where this oneness exists, it is evidence that the

image of God is being restored in humanity, that a new principle of life

has been implanted. It shows that there is power in the divine nature to

withstand the supernatural agencies of evil, and that the grace of God

subdues the selfishness inherent in the natural heart."—The

Desire of

Ages,

p.678.

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Jesus called this commandment to love one another a "new" command-

ment. What was new about the new commandment? Compare John 13:34

with Lev. 19:18.

By His revelation of His Father's character Jesus had opened before

the world a new concept of love. Genuine, unselfish love has one Source

alone in the universe. God is the

only

Source. "Love," John wrote in his

first epistle, "is of [from] God" (1 John 4:7). If God is the Source of all

love, then none of us can originate it or call it into being by a simple deci-

sion of the will.

Neither can we love by trying to love. "We need not begin by

trying

love one another. The love of Christ in the heart is what is needed. When

self is submerged in Christ, true love springs forth spontaneously."—

Testimonies , vol.

7, p. 266.

We do not love by

deciding

to love. We do not love by

trying

to love.

We love by tapping into the Source of love and becoming channels of

love. However, we must not wait until we feel like doing good to act.

Actions often harness our feelings and direct them properly.

ILLUMINATION:

"It is the privilege of every soul to be a living channel

through which God can communicate to the world the treasures of His

grace, the unsearchable riches of Christ. There is nothing that Christ de-

sires so much as agents who will represent to the world His Spirit and

character. There is nothing that the world needs so much as the manifes-

tation through humanity of the Saviour's love. All heaven is waiting for

channels through which can be poured the holy oil to be a joy and bless-

ing to human hearts.

"—Christ's Object Lessons ,

p. 419.

In one sense we can never love one another. All we can do is to offer

ourselves to God as channels through which

can do the loving. But

when we do so, we must allow His love to go to work and must cooperate

with Him in God-directed loving service for others.

THINK IT THROUGH:

Jesus no longer is present physically here on

earth. The only hands He has on this earth are our hands. The only feet

He has are our feet. The only lips He has are our lips. His only arms are

our arms. His only smiles are our smiles. If we will make ourselves daily

available to Him, He will use our hands, feet, lips, arms, and smiles to

bring love to a love-starved world. We will become channels through

which His love can flow to those who need it most.

FURTHER STUDY AND MEDITATION:

1. In the first two sections of our lesson this week we considered the

limitless infinity of God's love. Ellen White captures something of the

vastness of God's love in the following comment:

"All the paternal love which has come down from generation to gen-

eration through the channel of human hearts, all the springs of tenderness

which have opened in the souls of men, are but as a tiny rill to the bound-

less ocean when compared with the infinite, exhaustless love of God.

alkarimadi &Do

Tongue cannot utter it; pen cannot portray it. You may meditate upon it

every day of your life; you may search the Scriptures diligently in order

to understand it; you may summon every power and capability that God

has given you, in the endeavor to comprehend the love and compassion

of the heavenly Father; and yet there is an infinity beyond. You may

study that love for ages; yet you can never fully comprehend the length

and the breadth, the depth and the height, of the love of God in giving His

Son to die for the world.

"—Testimonies , vol.

5, p. 740.

2. The third section of this week's lesson focused on our great privi-

lege of becoming channels of God's love to others. Notice these addi-

tional comments from Ellen White on that privilege:

"Christ's favorite theme was the paternal character and abundant love

of God. This knowledge of God was Christ's own gift to men, and this gift

He has committed to His people to be communicated by them to the

world."—Testimonies ,

vol. 6, p. 55.

"The church is the depositary of the wealth of the riches of the grace of

Christ, and through the church eventually will be made manifest the final

and full display of the love of God to the world that is to be lightened with

its

glory."—Testimonies to Ministers ,

p. 50.

"From the anointed ones that stand in God's presence the fullness of

divine light and love and power is imparted to His people, that they may

impart to others light and joy and refreshing. They are to become chan-

nels through which divine instrumentalities communicate to the world the

tide of God's love

."—Testimonies ,

vol. 6, p. 12.

SUMMARY: According to John 3:16, God gave because He loved. The

very essence of God's love is that it gives. It sacrifices. It hastens to meet

the needs of others, ignoring the cost. Although we may be unable fully to

understand such love, we surely can experience and appropriate it. And it

is our privilege to be more than simply recipients of God's love. We also

may become channels through which that love can flow to others.

APPLICATION:

•

When trouble strikes with the sudden fury of a hurricane, the tempta-

tion often follows to doubt God's love. What can I do now to help me

avoid questioning God's love for me when tragedy or trial arrives?

•

As I review my relationship with God, what two or three specific evi-

dences can I recall that most clearly indicate His personal love for me?

Have I ever asked God to love a seemingly unlovable person through

me? If so, what was the result? If not, what am I waiting for?

•

Is God more interested in how well I perform, or in how well I love?

What is the relationship between the two?

When I work to win souls, am I as eager for people to know God's love

as I am for them to know His truth? Is it possible that with some

thought and effort, I could present each Bible truth in such a way that

the predominant impression left upon the minds of my students would

be the greatness of God's love?

If I were to spend an hour a day contemplating the love of God as seen

in the life of Christ, what specific changes might I anticipate in my

lifestyle, my priorities, and my outlook on life?

The Door to Forever

THIS WEEK'S STUDY: The theme of eternal life found in such verses as

John 14:6; 17:3; and 6:47.

MEMORY TEXT: "I give unto them eternal life; and they shall

never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand"

(John 10:28).

CENTRAL THOUGHT:

When we receive Jesus as our Saviour and Lord,

we receive the gift of eternal life. As long as we continue to let Him live

out His life in us, eternal life is assured us.

OUTLINE:

Eternal life in Jesus (John 14:6).

II.

Eternal life in knowing Jesus (John 17:3).

III.

Eternal life now (John 6:47).

INTRODUCTION:

When a schoolboy asked his father to explain eter-

nity, the father drew a short line and a circle on a piece of paper. The line,

he said, represents an average human lifespan. It has a beginning, moves

through time a short distance, then ends. The circle, on the other hand,

has no beginning or end.

Later, in his academy mathematics course, the youth grappled with the

concept of infinity. Then in college science classes he was fascinated

when he studied about the many unsuccessful attempts that have been

made to create a perpetual motion machine.

Eternity—infinity—forever—perpetual—is it even possible for the hu-

man mind to understand such concepts? To us, everything seemingly

must have a beginning and an end. This week we will study another of

John's key ideas—the theme of eternal life.

These days, if a person lives to be 100 years old, we think that he or she

has lived a long time. But Methuselah lived nearly 1000 years. Yet 1000

years is only a moment compared to eternity.

Trying to imagine what it will be like to live forever is not easy. After a

thousand, a million, a billion, a trillion years of life we still shall have

eternity stretching out before us.

In our first lesson we discussed how Jesus always has been, with no

beginning. Scientists now claim to be able to "see" billions of years back

in time (through the measurement of certain light wave-lengths). Quasars

(galaxy-like objects of exceptional brilliance which some scientists esti-

mate are 15 billion light-years distant) have been photographed.

Jesus was alive when you were born. He was there hundreds of years

before that. He was there when the earth began. Jesus, the Creator, was

alive when the light we see today left those above-mentioned quasars 15

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billion years ago. He was there 20 billion years ago. He was there 20 bil-

lion years before that. He always has been. Eternity cannot be measured

in years or in time of any kind.

The theme of eternal life permeates the Gospel of John. When we stud-

ied John 1, we learned that this Jesus, who has no beginning, brings each

of us the gift of life. Last week's study of John 3:16 reminded us again that

the life He brings is everlasting or eternal life. Even though our limited

minds may be unable to comprehend fully how long "eternity" is, the

Lord still wants us to appreciate as much as we can how exceedingly

valuable the gift of eternal life is.

We also need to appreciate the difference between the idea of eternal

life and mere eternal existence. To exist forever would be no blessing at

all if that eternity were one of boredom, loneliness, unsatisfied yearnings,

and constant battles with sin and self.

But the eternal life that Jesus offers us is unlimited, not only in quantity

but in quality. Far more than being merely prolonged existence, eternal

life is invigorating, stimulating, and free of anything that would mar the

quest for personal peace and fulfillment. Best of all, the greatest reward

of eternal life is the privilege of intimate companionship with the three

Persons of the Godhead.

Some of the best news that John shares with us is that eternal life is not

something we must wait until the return of Jesus to experience. For us,

eternal life can begin here and now.

So come—let us walk together through the door to forever.

I. ETERNAL LIFE IN JESUS (John 14:6).

Some years ago a familiar breakfast cereal box carried this message:

"A prize in every package." It did not make for domestic peace when

children in a large family had only one box of cereal. There was enough

cereal, all right—but only one prize. And you could not purchase just the

prize by itself. You had to buy the box of cereal to get it.

In much the same way, eternal life is not a free gift that you can receive

just by itself. "This is the record," John says in his first epistle, "that

God hath given to us eternal life, that this life is

in his Son" (1

John 5:11).

(Emphasis supplied.)

Because eternal life is

Jesus, the only way we can have it is to accept

Jesus. We cannot have salvation without the Saviour. We cannot obtain

the gift without the Giver. This is totally reasonable when we realize that

eternal life is not a gift to

usfrom

Jesu s.He is the gift. As our text for this

section (John 14:6) says, Jesus

life—eternal life. (See also John 11:25.)

THINK IT THROUGH: "Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood,

hath eternal life," Jesus said (John 6:54). What does this mean?

"To eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ is to receive Him as a

personal Saviour, believing that He forgives our sins, and that we are

complete in

Him."—The Desire of Ages ,

p. 389.

When we receive Jesus, we must receive Him totally. Today there are

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some who would accept Jesus as their Saviour, but not as their Lord.

They desire the gift of salvation He has made possible, but they do not

want to submit to His lordship in their lives.

Many would accept Jesus hanging on the cross 2000 years ago as their

Saviour without accepting Him here and now as their Master. But Jesus

is not to be divided so conveniently. If He is to be accepted at all, He

must be accepted as Saviour

and

Lord of all. He must be accepted not

only in the past but in the present. He must be accepted not only for what

He already has done

for

us but also for what He wants to do now

us.

Jesus will not be our Saviour if we remain our own masters. He must be

all that He wants to be to us, or He will be nothing at all to us. If we have

not accepted Him entirely, then we do not have the gift that is in Him—

eternal life.

THINK IT THROUGH: Some think that salvation comes solely from

accepting what Jesus already has done

for us—outside

of us, not what He

wants to do now in us. Is it possible for us to accept Jesus as our Justifier

without also accepting Him as our Sanctifier?

Jesus is indivisible. We cannot accept Him to

declare

us righteous

without also accepting Him to

make

us righteous.

If Christ's work as Justifier is stressed to the near exclusion of His

work as Sanctifier, the result will be that we will rejoice in Christ's par-

don but experience little of His power. And if Jesus desires not only to

make payment for our sins but to give us victory over them, what a trag-

edy it would be if we should feel content to settle for only part of what He

has to give us!

On the other hand, if the work of Jesus as Sanctifier is given great em-

phasis while His work as Justifier receives little attention, the danger is

that Christians may conclude erroneously that their salvation is somehow

based on

their

behavior. Consequently, they will experience uncertainty

and lack of assurance regarding their eternal life.

If we are to be complete in Him, He must be both Justifier and Sancti-

fier in our lives.

1011

II. ETERNAL LIFE IN KNOWING JESUS (John 17:3).

Eternal life is not based on what we

do .

It is not based on what we

know .

It is based on

Whom

we know and what we do about that knowl-

edge.

How does John substantiate this fact? John 17:3.

To know Jesus means far more than knowing

about

Him. We can learn

enough about the life and teachings of Jesus to fill a library and still not

know

Him .

We can become experts in Christology and not know Him.

We may be able to discuss and debate and philosophize about Him with-

out knowing Him. To really know Jesus means far more than just a casual

acquaintance. For many, a friendship with Jesus lies not at the center but

at the periphery of their lives. Their communication with Him is superfi-

cial, spasmodic, and sometimes quite formal. But to truly know Him is to

have a growing relationship with Him and to allow Him to live out His life

within us.

Knowing Jesus not only provides us with eternal life but is meant to be

our greatest privilege and our highest joy. Knowing Him is not to be one

goal among many others in our lives—it is to be the primary and driving

pursuit of our existence. "Yea doubtless," Paul testified, "and I count all

things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my

Lord" (Phil. 3:8). Ellen White urged that "all our capacities are to be

used in the work of becoming acquainted with

Him."—Signs of the

Times ,

August 2, 1899.

SEARCH AND

LEARN: In Psalm 139:1-6, you may discover how well God

knows you. List in your own words at least five specific things that David

says God knows about you:



What was Paul's great desire in life? Phil. 3:10.

Perhaps few of us realize just how well we may get to know Jesus. The

relationship He desires to have with us is doubtless far beyond anything

we normally envision. Jesus desires a relationship based on unbroken

communication, continual sharing, total openness, and constant togeth-

erness. Jesus is preoccupied with us. We are never out of His thoughts.

He will never be satisfied with anything less than the most profound inti-

macy between Himself and His followers. He constantly lavishes atten-

tion, love, care, and interest upon us.

And what does He hope to receive from us in return? He wants us to

open up our lives totally to Him. He wants us to invite Him to share every

experience and detail of our lives with Him. He wants us to let Him have

access to all there is of us. He wants us to cultivate an awareness of His

immediate presence with us throughout each day. He wants us to reflect

fully His character of love to the world around us.

When Jesus comes, why will He say to some who have apparently worked

quite diligently for Him: "I never knew you"? Matt. 7:21-23.

To know Jesus we must make and take time to spend with Him. The

way we come to know Him is the same way that we get to know anyone

else. We must communicate with Him.

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When we talk about communicating with Christ, we usually think of

prayer and Bible study. But too often these become merely routine relig-

ious exercises. In order to really know Jesus, we must have a specific

purpose for prayer and Bible study. The purpose of our Bible study must

not be so much to obtain information as to build a relationship. We build

this relationship by opening our hearts fully to the influence of the Holy

Spirit. Then as we study the Bible and pray, the Holy Spirit will help us

apply the teachings of the Scriptures to our lives and to our needs.

What

the most significant purpose of prayer?

Our prayers must not be designed so much to place our requests before

the Lord as to build our personal relationship with Him.

In communicating with God we need to spend more time listening than

talking. We listen to God as He speaks to us through His servants—

preachers, teachers, and other Christians—and by reading good Chris-

tian literature in addition to the Bible. We also come to know God better

by working for Him. As He ministers to others through us, we come to

learn what He truly is like.

Eternal life is found within a close, personal relationship with Jesus. To

seek eternal life apart from this relationship is futile. To seek this relation-

ship with Christ should be the all-consuming object of our lives.

HI. ETERNAL LIFE IS NOW (John 6:47).

In his Gospel, John assures us repeatedly that those who believe in

Jesus

have

(present tense) eternal life. If Jesus is eternal life, then when

we invite Him into our hearts to begin living His life in us, the life He lives

in us is the beginning of our eternal life. (Review the discussion on the

distinction made between immortality and eternal life in section III of

Lesson 4.)

ILLUMINATION:

"As through Jesus we enter into rest, heaven begins

here. We respond to His invitation, Come, learn of Me, and in thus com-

ing we begin the life eternal."—The

Desire of Ages ,

p. 331.

"When Christ,

who is our life ,

shall appear," Paul wrote, "then shall

ye also appear with him in glory" (Col. 3:4). (Emphasis supplied.)

THINK IT THROUGH: If we have the assurance of eternal life now, why

are we cautioned against saying "I am saved"? (See the quotation from

Selected Messages,

bk. 1, p. 314 that is included in the "Further Study"

section.)

A careful study of the Spirit of Prophecy reveals that Ellen White's

primary concern in statements such as that quoted above is to counter the

doctrine of

eternal

security—"Once saved, always saved." She cautions

us against claiming that we are beyond the devil's reach—beyond the

possibility of falling away from Christ \But she wants us.to

have the as-

surance of salvation. She states: "It is esntial to have faith in Jesus, and

VII2Ctow Calks:ma

Lesson

to believe you are saved through Him; but there is danger in taking the

position that many do take in saying, 'I am saved.'

"—Selected Mes-

sages,

bk. 1, p. 373.

Remember again that eternal life is

Jesus. If we have Him—if we

have a growing relationship of utter trust in Him—we

have

eternal life.

As long as we are "in relationship" to Christ, we have eternal life. As

long as we are connected to Him vitally, we have all the gifts, joy, and

assurance that are in Him.

No one who presently lives apart from Jesus can claim honestly to have

eternal life—even if he or she did trust in Christ at some point in the past.

And no one who presently is connected to Christ should claim to have

ultimate salvation while it still is possible that he or she could yet discon-

nect from Christ.

Although we cannot now claim to be saved beyond the possibility of fall-

ing away, can we have the assurance that we presently are in a saving rela-

tionship with Christ? 1 John 5:11, 12.

The fact that we should not presumptuously and prematurely claim sal-

vation should not prevent us from rejoicing in the assurance of present

salvation if we

now

trust fully in Jesus.

The warnings of Ellen White against presumptuous assurance were

certainly not meant to deprive us of the right to enjoy a present and legit-

imate assurance of salvation. She wrote: "the perishing sinner may say:

. . . 'I am a sinner, and He died upon Calvary's cross to save me. I need

not remain a moment longer unsaved. He died and rose again for my

justification, and He will save me

now.' "—Selected Messages,

bk. 1, p.

392. (Emphasis supplied.)

God wants us to know that as long as we are looking daily to Jesus in

faith, we can and should rejoice in the absolute assurance that—should

our lives suddenly end—we would be among the saved. Nonetheless, be-

cause of the unfortunate inferences that accompany the phrase, "I am

saved," we would doubtless do well to seek other words with which to

express our assurance.

REACT: John says that he wrote his first epistle "that ye may know that ye

have eternal life" (1 John 5:13). If we can

know

that we have eternal life, it

would surely seem that we ought to be able to say so. Suggest some alterna-

tive ways to say so other than using the words "I am saved."

ILLUMINATION:

The opposite of the second death is eternal life . . .

which is represented in the Scriptures as being granted to the believer at

the moment he accepts his Lord. . . . This gift the overcomer never loses.

Physical dissolution at death and the state of unconciousness between

death and the resurrection do not deprive him of the gift. His life contin-

ues to be "hid with Christ in God" (Col. 3:3) to be translated into glorious

immortality on the resurrection morn.

FURTHER STUDY AND MEDITATION:

In Section I this week, we noticed that when we accept Jesus as our

eternal life, we accept Him also as our Justifier and Sanctifier. In the fol-

lowing statement, which paragraph describes Christ's work as our Justi-

fier and which one His work as Sanctifier?

"We have no righteousness of our own with which to meet the claims

of the law of God. But Christ has made a way of escape for us. He lived

on earth amid trials and temptations such as we have to meet. He lived a

sinless life. He died for us, and now He offers to take our sins and give us

His righteousness. If you give yourself to Him, and accept Him as your

Saviour, then, sinful as your life may have been, for His sake you are

accounted righteous. Christ's character stands in place of your character,

and you are accepted before God just as if you had not sinned.

"More than this, Christ changes the heart. He abides in your heart by

faith. You are to maintain this connection with Christ by faith and the

continual surrender of your will to Him; and so long as you do this, He

will work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure."—

Steps to Christ,

pp. 62, 63.

Meditate on the following comments relating to Secton II of the les-

son:

"The value of man is estimated in heaven according to the capacity of

the heart to know God. This knowledge is the spring from which flows all

power."—Christ's Object Lessons,

pp. 354, 355.

"The knowledge of God as revealed in Christ is the knowledge that all

who are saved must have. It is the knowledge that works transformation

of character. This knowledge, received, will re-create the soul in the im-

age of God. It will impart to the whole being a spiritual power that is

divine."—The

Ministry of Healing,

p. 425.

Consider the following statement in the light of Section III:

"We are never to rest in a satisfied condition, and cease to make ad-

vancement, saying, 'I am saved.' When this idea is entertained, the mo-

tives for watchfulness, for prayer, for earnest endeavor to press onward

to higher attainments, cease to exist. No sanctified tongue will be found

uttering these words till Christ shall come, and we enter in through the

gates into the city of God. . . . As long as man is full of weakness—for of

himself he cannot save his soul—he should never dare to say, 'I am

saved.'

"—Selected Messages,

bk. 1, p. 314.

SUMMARY:

Eternal life is not an isolated gift that we receive apart from

Jesus. John clearly teaches that eternal life is to be possessed only as we

maintain a vital, personal relationship with Jesus. As long as we remain

connected to Christ through the Holy Spirit, we possess the eternal life

that is His and may enjoy the happy assurance of salvation.

APPLICATION:

What is it that attracts me most about living forever?

Is it possible for prayer and Bible study to become just another relig-

ious duty for me rather than a means of getting to know Jesus?

Would I say that I

know

Jesus as well as I know

about

Him?

The Bush Stii01 Burns

THIS WEEK'S STUDY: The "I AM" statements of Jesus as set forth in

John 6:35; 10:11; and 15:1.

MEMORY TEXT: "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto

you, Before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:58).

CENTRAL THOUGHT:

Jesus, who identified Himself to Moses as the "I

AM," reappears as the great "I AM" of John's Gospel. To His followers,

He is the Bread of Life, the Light of the World, the Good Shepherd, the

True Vine, and much more. Through these word pictures, Jesus offers

Himself to us as the answer to our every question, the solution to our

every problem, and the satisfaction of our every need.

OUTLINE:

"I am the bread of life" (John 6:35).

II.

"I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11).

III.

"I am the true vine" (John 15:1).

INTRODUCTION:

Moses was certain that he was seeing things. A lone

desert bush stood enveloped in flames. In all his years of herding sheep

he had never seen anything like that. He moved closer, fascinated by the

blazing display before him. Something was strange about this—some-

thing he could not quite explain. Suddenly he gasped involuntarily as

there, through the fiery mantle, he saw leaves, twigs, branches—all to-

tally untouched by the searing heat of what appeared to be a billowing

inferno.

The bush was on fire—but it was not burning up!

As Moses stood transfixed, the Lord called to him from within the

bush, instructing him to remove his shoes. Getting right to the point, God

told Moses that he was to lead God's people out of Egypt.

"But why," Moses asked, "should they listen to me? What if I go to

the children of Israel and tell them that You have sent me to deliver them,

and they ask me Your name? What do

say then?"

"And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt

thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you" (Ex.

3:14).

The Hebrew word for the English translation "I AM" is the name

Yah-

weh ,

which means "The self-existing One." He is the God who always

was, is, and always will be. Do you need a God who will always be

present in your life? Do you wrestle with discouragement, disappoint-

ment, or depression—with failure, fear, or frustration—with sin, sick-

ness, or sadness? For all of our aching needs, for all of our struggles, for

all of our burdens, Jesus is the Great "I AM," the God who is with us, the

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eternal God who cared for us even before we were created. He is willing

to unleash His unlimited power to perform miracles for us. He is willing

to marshal all the resources of heaven and earth to solve our problems

and meet our needs.

The bush that burned before the astonished eyes of Moses still was

"burning" when John wrote his Gospel. Repeatedly, John introduces us

to the Lord of the burning bush—the great I AM—who still communi-

cates with us, saying:

"I AM the Bread of Life"-6:35

"Before Abraham was, I AM"-8:58

"I AM the Light of the World"-9:5

"I AM the Door of the Sheep"-10:7

"I AM the Good Shepherd"-10:11

"I AM the Resurrection and the Life"-11:25

"I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life"-14:6

"I AM the True Vine"-15:1

The great I AM still speaks to us, offering to meet our every need. This

week we will not be able to study all of Christ's "I AM" statements in

detail, but will focus on three of them.

I. "I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE" (John 6:35).

The day after Christ multiplied the loaves and fishes to feed five thou-

sand—the day after He walked on the sea—the curious crowd caught up

with Him in the synagogue at Capernaum. "Rabbi," they asked, "when

camest thou hither?" (John 6:25).

How did Jesus get down to the heart of their problem in His reply? Verse

26.

Jesus did not answer their question. Instead, He told them why they

had come. Ignoring their curiosity, He confronted them with their real

motive in seeking Him.

The crowd had received a free meal from Jesus. Now they clung to the

desperate hope that He might become their long-term provider. Incred-

ibly, the spiritual significance of the previous day's miracle had com-

pletely escaped them. The spiritual had been eclipsed totally by the mate-

rial. Probably most of the people who had spent the entire day listening to

Him were poor and, as a result, chronically hungry. Their lives consisted

of a grueling effort to survive. They spent most of their time worrying

about how they were going to get enough for their next meal.

THINK IT THROUGH: Do I ever seek Jesus for selfish reasons? If my mo-

tives for seeking Him are selfish, will He receive me anyway? How can I

make sure that I am seeking Him for the right reasons?

How did Jesus attempt to convey a vision of deeper needs and higher

priorities to the crowd whose horizon was filled with the continuing scram-

ble for life's necessities? John 6:27.

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Jesus told them not to spend their lives in working just for food and

their physical needs. Instead they were to work for something far better

that brings eternal life. Although only dimly comprehending what He was

saying, the crowd did at least understand such words as "labour" and

"everlasting life." "Then they said unto him, What shall we do, that we

might work the works of God?" (Verse 28).

"They had been performing many and burdensome works in order to

recommend themselves to God; and they were ready to hear of any new

observance by which they could secure greater merit. Their question

meant, What shall we do that we may deserve heaven? What is the price

we are required to pay in order to obtain the life to come?"—The

Desire

of Ages ,

p. 385.

To people whose continued existence depended on sheer hard work, it

was inconceivable that eternal life should depend on anything other than

a lifetime of good works.

What great principle did Jesus outline in His reply? John 6:29.

Jesus explained that their work was not the work of trying, but the

work of trusting. Instead of choosing to accept the spiritual truth that

Christ was attempting to teach them, the people changed the subject.

NOTICE

in John 4:18-20 another instance of someone changing the sub-

ject when Jesus brought truth too close for comfort—in this case, the

woman of Samaria at Jacob's well.

Changing the subject, "They said therefore unto him, What sign

shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou

work?" (John 6:30). Let us not talk about our work anymore, they

seemed to say. Let's talk instead about Yours. Perform a miracle so that

we can see and believe.

Is it really true, as is so often stated, that "seeing is believing"?

Hardly. Believing is being sure even without seeing.

—

IMI

What did the people have in mind when they referred to the manna in

L_J

John 6:31?

Just one day after witnessing a miraculous demonstration of the super-

natural, the people now demanded that Jesus demonstrate the truth of

His claims by performing a miracle—as if they did not still carry the evi-

dence of just such a miracle in their own bodies.

"True," they seemed to be saying, "You did feed us bread yesterday,

but You fed us only once. Moses fed Israel for 40 years! You fed 5000.

Moses fed a whole nation. You gave us plain, everyday bread. Moses

gave Israel bread from heaven. Can you do anything as big as that?"

How did Jesus respond? What was the significance of His response? John

6:32, 33.

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"First," Jesus replied, "Moses did not give your ancestors bread—

God did. Second, the manna, while it came from the sky, was not the true

bread of God from heaven. The real bread of God from heaven itself is the

Person who has come down to you from heaven."

Still thinking that Jesus referred to temporal food—some of Christ's

hearers exclaimed, "Lord, evermore give us this bread" (verse 34). Pa-

thetic blindness! Mysterious incomprehension!

Then, as indicated in the key verse of this section of our study, Jesus

stripped the scales from their eyes. In words of thrilling magnificence,

Jesus plainly declared, "I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall

never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst" (verse 35).

SEARCH AND LEARN: Read John 6:48-71, then answer the following

questions:

From verses 60, 61, and 66 it is clear that some of Christ's followers

were offended by what He said, even to the point of walking no more with

Him. In verses 48 through 58, what was it that Jesus said that offended

them so much, and why?

When the rabbis asked in verse 52, "How can this man give us his

flesh to eat?" do you think they honestly understood Jesus to be speaking in

literal terms, or were they just pretending to understand Him in that way?

(See

The Desire of Ages,

p. 389.)

II. "I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD" (John 10:11).

Perhaps none of the figures by which Jesus represents Himself to us

conveys the intimacy and tenderness of the relationship that He desires

shall exist between Himself and His followers as fully as the metaphor of

the Good Shepherd.

As we study this illustration we learn that we are the objects of un-

bounded care, constant protection, and total commitment to our welfare.

And we discover just how much Jesus cares for the individual members

of His flock.

What else may we learn as we consider this great "I AM" passage in

John 10:1-18?

Immediately obvious in the first few verses of this chapter is how well

the shepherd and the sheep know each other. The shepherd "calleth his

own sheep by name" (verse 3).

ILLUMINATION:

"Jesus knows us individually, and is touched with the

feeling of our infirmities. He knows us all by name. He knows the very

house in which we live, the name of each occupant. He has at times given

directions to His servants to go to a certain street in a certain city, to such

a house, to find one of His sheep.

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tEl?thkth

"Every soul is as fully known to Jesus as if he were the only one for

whom the Saviour died."—The

Desire of Ages ,

pp. 479, 480.

Just as the shepherd knows his sheep, the sheep, too, know the shep-

herd. (See verses 4, 5.) Ellen White beautifully describes the reason that

Christ's sheep follow Him: "It is not the fear of punishment, or the hope

of everlasting reward, that leads the disciples of Christ to follow Him.

They behold the Saviour's matchless love, revealed throughout His pil-

grimage on earth, from the manger of Bethlehem to Calvary's cross, and

the sight of Him attracts, it softens and subdues the soul. Love awakens

in the heart of the beholders. They hear His voice, and they follow

Him." The

Desire of Ages ,

p. 480.

THINK IT THROUGH: As followers of the Good Shepherd, how can we

learn to distinguish between His voice and the voice of a stranger? (See John

10:4, 5.)

In John 10:7, Jesus says, "I am the door of the sheep." Yet in verse 11,

He says, "I am the good shepherd." How can He be both the Shepherd and

the Door of the sheepfold?

Sir George Adam Smith, who traveled extensively in the Middle East,

once came across an Arab shepherd leading his sheep and fell into con-

versation with him. The shepherd showed him the fold into which the

sheep were led each night. It consisted of four walls with an open space

for an entrance.

"That is where the sheep go at night?" Sir George asked.

"Yes," replied the shepherd, "and when they are inside, they are per-

fectly safe."

"But there is no door," observed Sir George.

"I am the door," the shepherd answered.

This shepherd was not a Christian. He was not employing the language

of the New Testament.

"What do you mean—you are the door?" Sir George persisted.

"When the light has gone," the shepherd explained, "and the sheep all

are inside, I lie down in that open space, and no sheep ever goes out but

across my body, and no wolf ever comes in unless he crosses my body. I

am the door."—Adapted from G. Campbell Morgan,

The Gospel Accord-

ing to John

(Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company,

n.d.), p. 177.

INTERPRET: In John 10:10 Jesus said that thieves tried to enter the sheep-

fold only to steal, kill, and destroy. But He had come that His sheep might

have life, "and that they might have it more abundantly." Put into your

own words what it means to have life more abundantly.

Jesus calls Himself the

Good

Shepherd, in contrast to the hireling shep-

herds who seek only wages and do not care much for the sheep. (See John

10:11-15.) Seeing a wolf coming, the hireling thinks only of saving his own

skin; so he flees. But a true shepherd forgets his own safety in his concern

for the defenseless sheep. If necessary, he will give his life to protect the

flock.

SEARCH AND LEARN: Study John 10:11-15 and then list at least three

differences between the Good Shepherd and the hireling:

MIER

III. "I AM THE TRUE VINE" (John 15:1).

It is true of many parables, metaphors, and symbols that the figurative

language correlates imperfectly with reality—that all details of the sym-

bolism may not necessarily possess significance. But of the parable of the

vine and the branches Ellen White wrote, "The figure of the vine is a

perfect symbol."—Signs

of the Times ,

March 10, 1887.

"Christ's connection with his believing people," she added later, "is

illustrated by this parable as by no other."—Review

and Herald ,

Septem-

ber 18, 1900.

As an emblem of Christ's relation to His believers, she said, this par-

able is a "most striking and appropriate

symbol."—Testimonies , vol.

p. 230.

This great "I AM" statement of Jesus is so full of fascinating ideas and

parallels that all we can do here is to briefly touch on two or three of the

points that beg to be considered.

REFLECT on the word

abide,

which occurs seven times in the first eight

verses of John 15.

When Jesus says, "abide in me" (verse 4), what does He mean?

A branch that "abides" in the vine is a branch that

stays connected

the vine. To abide in Jesus, then, is to stay vitally, constantly connected

to Him. "This is no casual touch, no off-and-on connection. The branch

becomes a part of the living vine. The communication of life, strength,

and fruitfulness from the root to the branches is unobstructed and con-

stant... .

"The channel of communication must be open continually between

man and his God."—The

Desire of Ages ,

p. 676.

THINK IT THROUGH: To abide in Christ is to keep the channel of com-

munication with Him open continually. What are the chief hindrances that

you have discovered that disrupt free and continuous communication be-

tween you and Christ?

figpftll

Cum

Lesson

Another central theme in this parable is that of fruit bearing. The natu-

ral result when a branch remains connected to a vine is that the branch

bears fruit. Some maintain that the fruit mentioned in John 15 refers to

souls won through our witnessing efforts. And while true fruitfulness in

soul-winning can be ours only as we abide in Christ, the primary applica-

tion of the fruit in this parable is to the fruit of the Spirit.

"The branch can maintain its connection with the living vine only on

condition that it bear fruit. And the fruit borne on the Christian tree is

`love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,

temperance.' "—Ellen G. White,

Signs of the Times ,

March 10, 1887.

"The object of the Christian life is fruit bearing—the reproduction of

Christ's character in the believer, that it may be reproduced in others."—

Christ's Object Lessons ,

p. 67.

What does this parable teach about the theme of utter dependence on

Christ? Verse 5.

Please note that this verse does not say that

we are

nothing—or that we

are

worth

nothing. It says that we can

nothing—that we are utterly

powerless. Powerless to do what? "You are just as dependent upon

Christ, in order to live a holy life, as is the branch upon the parent stock

for growth and fruitfulness. Apart from Him you have no life. You have

no power to resist temptation or to grow in grace and holiness."—Steps

to Christ,

p. 69.

FURTHER STUDY AND MEDITATION:

Read

The Desire of Ages ,

pages 383-394; 476-484; 674-677.

SUMMARY:

Jesus is our great "I AM"—the One who makes things hap-

pen in our lives at each point of our need. As the Bread of Life, He is the

daily sustenance of our spiritual lives. As the Good Shepherd, He is our

deeply caring provider and protector. As the true Vine, He is the source

of our power and fruitfulness.

APPLICATION:

Jesus said that all who come to Him as the Bread of Life will never

hunger. Have I ever tried to fill the "God-shaped void" inside me with

something other than a relationship with Christ?

In John 10:16, Jesus says that as the Good Shepherd, He has "other

sheep . . . not of this fold" whom He desires to bring into the fold. Do I

know of any such sheep? What is the best way I can help Christ in

bringing these "other sheep" into His fold?

As a branch, should my primary effort be to bear fruit—or to stay con-

nected to the Vine?

The Reveilation Roam

THIS WEEK'S STUDY: John 13 through 17.

MEMORY TEXT: "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in

God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if

it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive

you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:

1-3).

CENTRAL THOUGHT:

On the eve of His crucifixion, Jesus revealed

some of His most important thoughts to the disciples gathered in the up-

per room. Fully aware of the tensions among them, He spoke to them of

humility, brotherly love, and unity. He directed their attention to the

other members of the divine family—the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Through the parable of the vine and the branches He illustrated their need

for a vital connection to Him. He lavished upon them His love and His

promises and closed with a mighty prayer for unity that included not only

them, but every one of us.

OVERVIEW—John 13-17

John 13

John 14-16

John 17

The Passover

The Promises

The Prayer

INTRODUCTION:

The upper room could rightly be called the revelation

room. The book of Revelation, of course, was written on Patmos, not in

the upper room (although its future author was present that Thursday

evening). But the five chapters of John's Gospel that record the words

and deeds of Jesus on His last night with the disciples before the cross are

filled with striking revelations—revelations of the mind and heart of Jesus

just hours away from His crucifixion.

Jesus that evening revealed the secret of His spiritual power—constant

dependence on His Father. He revealed to His disciples what would ever

be the secret of

their

spiritual power—a constant connection with and

dependence on Him, as exemplified in the parable of the vine and

branches. He revealed their greatest need—brotherly love and unity. He

revealed the imminent arrival of His successor—the Holy Spirit. And

through a variety of magnificent promises, He revealed His deep love for

His followers.

The alert and careful Bible student will notice that at the end of chapter

14 Jesus says, "Arise, let us go hence" (verse 31). Matthew's record of

sae

1W1

the upper room Passover celebration notes that "when they had sung an

hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives" (Matt. 26:30). The hymn

was no doubt the Passover Hallel, the words of which are found in Psalms

113 to 118. Therefore Christ's farewell counsel and His prayer recorded

in John 15 through 17 must have taken place on the

way from

the upper

room to Gethsemane rather than

the upper room. (See

The Desire of

Ages ,

pp. 672, 673.) Nonetheless, the instruction He gave His disciples as

they walked was an extension of that which had begun in the upper

room—a continuation of one connected discourse. For this reason, many

commentators and scholars refer to the entire teaching of Jesus in John 13

through 17 as the upper room discourse. In this week's lesson we will do

the same.

We also should observe that in this discourse Jesus was not attempting

to deal with His subject matter as if He were writing a formal treatise.

Rather than dealing with each topic in turn as a self-contained unit, He

wove His themes together, and their strands recurringly appear and dis-

appear.

Finally, we should notice that some of the significant themes and pas-

sages of the upper room discourse have been or will be studied in other

lessons. The parable of the vine and the branches in chapter 15 was exam-

ined in the last lesson. Christ's relationship with His Father will be given

particular attention in Lesson 10.

I. THE PASSOVER (John 13).

Of the Gospel writers, John alone records the washing of the disciples'

feet. It remains for the other Gospel writers to supply details of the Last

Supper itself.

The disciples arrived in the upper room filled with pride and preoccu-

pied with politics. Convinced that Jesus was on the verge of stepping for-

ward to deliver the Jews from Roman oppression, they were each jock-

eying for the highest possible positions in His new government. Their

self-serving ambitions and hostile rivalry filled the room with tension.

Any one of them would have stepped gladly over the other eleven to land

a choice assignment in the new administration of power. Power—that

was the great prize for which they struggled—power, prestige, and posi-

tion.

Jesus knew that their clashing egos and swelling self-importance left

them frighteningly unprepared for the celebration of the ordinance He

was about to institute, much less for the stunning reversal of their expec-

tations that the next few hours would bring. Jesus also knew that, with

one exception, all of them were destined for positions in His kingdom.

But they would be positions of service, not of self-promotion. The disci-

ples would need humility rather than pride.

So great was the tension in the room that the clipped conversation soon

gave way to silence—a silence that grew increasingly uncomfortable as

everyone in the room realized that

someone

should assume the custom-

ary role of washing the others' feet. Pitcher, basin, and towel were in

plain view, but each man's pride made it inconceivable that he should be

the one to serve the others. They waited. Jesus waited.

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48 (to BD 1

What astonishing event finally relieved the tension? John 13:14, 15.

Too stunned to break the silence, the disciples watched as Jesus knelt

first to wash the feet of Judas, who was soon to betray Him. (See

The

Desire of Ages ,

p. 645.) Christ's unspoken rebuke filled them with bitter

shame, and His condescension washed away their pride as the water

washed away the dust from their feet.

THINK IT THROUGH: Try to place yourself in the upper room as Jesus

moved from one disciple to the next, washing the feet of each one. Picture

the scene as vividly as possible. What would be your thoughts and feelings

as He washed your feet?

ILLUMINATION:

"When Jesus girded Himself with a towel to wash the

dust from their feet, He desired by that very act to wash the alienation,

jealousy, and pride from their hearts. This was of far more consequence

than the washing of their dusty feet. . . . Their hearts must be cleansed.

Pride and self-seeking create dissension and hatred, but all this Jesus

washed away in washing their feet."—The

Desire of Ages ,

p. 646.

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What lesson was Jesus teaching Peter through the dialogue recorded in

John 13:6-10?

"Like Peter and his brethren, we too have been washed in the blood of

Christ, yet often through contact with evil the heart's purity is soiled. We

must come to Christ for His cleansing grace. Peter shrank from bringing

his soiled feet in contact with the hands of his Lord and Master; but how

often we bring our sinful, polluted heart in contact with the heart of

Christ! How grievous to Him is our evil temper, our vanity and pride! Yet

all our infirmity and defilement we must bring to Him. He alone can wash

us clean."—The

Desire of Ages ,

pp. 646, 649.

SEARCH AND LEARN: Seventh-day Adventists are among the few Chris-

tians who practice foot-washing in connection with the communion service.

Read John 13:14-17, then list three reasons John gives for us to follow

Jesus' example in deed as well as in spirit:

John then turned his attention from the footwashing to what happened

next. At Christ's words, "One of you shall betray me" (verse 21), the

disciples were seized with amazement. John quickly sketches for us the

drama of betrayal—the disbelieving questions, the sop, the hasty exit of

Judas from the room. An accumulation of earlier choices against cons-

cience had led to one final, fateful choice that placed him forever beyond

love's reach. Jesus forces His love on no one determined to reject it.

Chapter 13 closes with the first part of Christ's upper room discourse.

"I am going," He said, "where you cannot come." (See verse 33.)

"Peter, characteristically, wanted to know where Jesus was going. He

could not believe that the one who raised Lazarus from the grave should

be speaking of his own death. Apparently he began to understand, how-

ever, for he swore he would lay down his life for Jesus. It was a case of

the sheep's being willing to die for the shepherd.

"But only the Shepherd's will was as good as his word. Peter would

deny his relationship to Jesus three times before morning, and Jesus

would give his life for the sheep on the following day."—John Killinger,

A Devotional Guide to John

(Waco, Texas: Word, Inc., 1981), p. 99.

II. THE PROMISES (John 14 through 16).

Scattered through the upper room discourse are many superlative

promises. These promises were for Christ's disciples and for His follow-

ers today as well. In Lesson 11 we will study the greatest of these prom-

ises—the gift of the Holy Spirit. In this lesson we will consider briefly

some of the other promises that Jesus made that night. One wonderful

fact about the promises of Jesus is that at any hour of the day or night we

may present our requests and receive of God's resources up to the limit of

our need. The gifts God promises always are available.

The first promise we will notice in this section is the much-beloved

promise of John 14:1-3, our memory text this week.

SEARCH AND LEARN: By consulting as many Bible translations and ver-

sions of John 14:1-3 as you have available, and by referring to any commen-

taries, concordances, or other study aids to which you may have access,

seek to discover answers to the following questions:

•

What is the "Father's house"? Is it heaven, or is it the entire universe?

•

What and where are the "many mansions"? How is the word

mansions

translated in versions other than the King James?

•

What do you suppose Christ is doing in preparing "a place" for us?

As Christians on this earth it seems as if we never really fit in. We

always seem to be out of place. This world does not need us or want us. It

has no place for us. But the Father has many places in His house—places

where we can fit right in and know that we belong. We can count on that

as a fact because Jesus promised it.

We have waited a long time to go home. And Jesus has waited a long

time to come and get us. But do not become impatient. Do not become

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discouraged. Jesus promises, "I will come again." We can count on that

because Jesus promised it.

When we get to heaven we will not be concerned about whether the

streets are paved with gold or with asphalt, as long as we can walk them

together with Jesus. We will not care if the twelve gates are made of pearl

or wrought iron, as long as we can get through one of them to be with

Jesus. Heaven is not just a place; it also is a Person. And someday Jesus

will come again to take us to be with Him. We can count on it because

Jesus promised it.

SEARCH AND LEARN: Read John 14:13, 14; 15:7, 16; and 16:23, 24.

Which of these verses contains a condition upon which the promises will be

fulfilled? On the line below, write down one personal request which you

have not yet asked of God, and for which you can claim one of the above

promises.

"It is a part of God's plan to grant us, in answer to the prayer of faith,

that which He would not bestow did we not thus

ask."—The Great

Controversy ,

p. 525.

Ask "any thing." Ask "whatever." Ask "what ye will." The sheer

unrestricted magnitude of the invitation is staggering. In his first epistle,

John echoes these all-inclusive promises of Christ, adding that we must

ask "according to his will" (1 John 5:14, 15). But the conditions met, the

promise is unequivocal.

One final promise from the "revelation room" begs at least to be ac-

knowledged before we leave this section. Jesus said in John 14:27,

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world

giveth, give I unto you."

We are invited to take our stresses and sorrows, our pressures and

problems, our doubts and discouragements to Christ in exchange for His

peace. No storm that rages against us or within us is too great to be

calmed by this promise of the Prince of Peace.

III. THE PRAYER (John 17).

As John Knox lay dying, he whispered to his wife, "Go, read where I

first cast my anchor." Without hesitation, she turned to John 17. Christ's

high-priestly prayer in this chapter has been called the New Testament's

noblest and purest pearl of devotion.

John 17: Christ Prays—

For Himself (verses

1-5)

For His disciples (verses 6-19)

For His future followers

(verses 20-26)

That He might be glorified

That they might be sanctified

That they might be unified

The Prayer for Himself (verses 1-5).

Take time to notice three things

in this first section of Christ's prayer. First, consider His request that He

be glorified. "To glorify someone means to manifest or display their hid-

den virtue or wisdom or power or beauty, to bring out that which is hid-

den away in them. And here our Lord is asking that he be glorified, that

is, that things hidden in him—resources and wisdom and beauty which

are rightfully his—might now be made manifest, in order that he in turn

might manifest the beauty and the glory and the order and the wisdom of

the Father. In reading this you can see that the major work of all three

Persons in the Godhead—Father, Son, and Holy Ghost—is to display the

mutual glory of one another."—Ray C. Stedman,

Secrets of the Spirit ,

126.

Next, notice that it is in this part of Christ's prayer that we find the

great definition of eternal life—which is to know God (verse 3). Reflect

again on the absolute necessity of a personal, vital relationship with God.

Finally, notice that Jesus claimed preexistence.

In verse 5 fmd a clear and unmistakable reference by Jesus to His preex-

istence.

The Prayer for His disciples (verses 6-19).

Again in this second section

of Christ's prayer we find such a wealth of truth that all we can do is to

sample it briefly.

Even quickly scanning this section brings immediately to view the con-

trast that Jesus draws between His disciples and "the world." The disci-

ples, Jesus says, were given to Him by the Father "out of the world"

(verse 6), but they are no longer "of the world" (verse 16). While Jesus is

soon to be "no more in the world," they still are "in the world" (verse

11). Jesus does not pray that they be taken "out of the world" (verse 15),

but simply that they be kept from evil as they are sent "into the world"

(verses 15, 18). In the world, but not of it—thus it should be for those who

follow Christ.

What is Christ's prayer for His remaining eleven disciples? Verse 17.

"Sanctified" as it is used here is not so much asking that they be made

holy as that they be set apart for a holy use. What that use, that task, is

becomes clear in verse 18. They are to be sent into the world as Christ's

witnesses.

The Prayer for His future followers (verses 20-26).

We cannot read

this section of Christ's prayer without being deeply moved that Jesus

prayed for us. Each of us is included specifically in verse 20.

What does Jesus ask for us as He prays?

First, Jesus asks that we all may be one. Second, that we may be with

Jesus where He is. Why does Jesus pray for our unity? He wants the

world to recognize that the Father sent Jesus into this world. He indicates

that the best way to convince them of the fact that Jesus has been here is

for the world to see us united by love. The world will recognize that His

being here has made a dramatic difference for and in us.

When Christ's prayer for us is answered fully (as it most certainly will

be), the resulting unity based on love will draw multitudes to our church

doors seeking to join us.

THINK IT THROUGH: If not now, when? If not us, who?

FURTHER STUDY AND MEDITATION:

Read

The Desire of Ages,

pages 677-680.

"For the pardon of sin, for the Holy Spirit, for a Christlike temper, for

wisdom and strength to do His work, for any gift He has promised, we

may ask; then we are to believe that we receive, and return thanks to God

that we have received.

"We need look for no outward evidence of the blessing. The gift is in

the promise, and we may go about our work assured that what God has

promised He is able to perform, and that the gift, which we already pos-

sess, will be realized when we need it

most.



p. 258.

SUMMARY:

Hours from the cross, Jesus bared His soul to His disciples.

In the upper room and later on the walk to Gethsemane, the things He

said and did revealed once again how deeply He cared for His own. By a

silent act of humble service He destroyed their pride and jealousy.

Through an abundance of promises He opened heaven's storehouse. And

in His moving prayer, He figuratively swept up in His arms His followers

of all ages and committed them to the Father's love and care.

APPLICATION:

How do I feel about the footwashing service? Am I ever uncomfortable

or embarrassed? If so, why?

Jesus promised that He would come again. Am I waiting for Him? Or is

He waiting for me?

Jesus promised to answer my prayers. When my prayers seem to go

unanswered, I may be tempted to doubt His promises. How can I

maintain my faith in His Word when this happens?

As I carefully examine my own motives, do I find that I ever seek a

church or Sabbath School office for honor rather than for service?

NOTES:

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Like Father, Like Son

THIS WEEK'S STUDY: The relationship of Jesus to His heavenly Father

as brought to view in such texts as John 1:18; 14:10; and 15:4.

SAB

MEMORY TEXT: "Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father,

RMi

and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time

with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen

me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the

Father?" (John 14:8, 9).

CENTRAL THOUGHT:

Two of the primary reasons Jesus came down to

this earth were

(1)

to reveal to the human race the Father's character of

love, and (2) to reveal that the secret of spiritual victory and growth is to

be found in constant dependence on a source of power outside of our-

selves. If carefully studied, these twin revelations can give us a distinct

advantage in living the Christian life.

OUTLINE:

Jesus came to reveal the Father (John 1:18).

II.

The mutual indwelling of Jesus and the Father (John 14:10).

III.

The mutual indwelling of Jesus and His followers (John 15:4).

INTRODUCTION:

"Like father, like son," the saying goes. Never was

this more true than of God the Father and Jesus the Son. "If you have

seen Me," Jesus told Philip, "you have seen the Father." And speaking

to the Jews in Solomon's porch, He said, "I and my Father are one"

(John 10:30).

Of all the key words in John's Gospel, the one repeated most often is

the

word Father

(120 times). Obviously, this fact alone should suggest to

us the importance that Jesus attached to knowing His Father.

Concerning Philip's question Ellen White writes that "Philip's doubt

was answered with words of reproof. He wished Christ to reveal the Fa-

ther in bodily form; but in Christ God had already revealed Himself. . . .

"Christ emphatically impressed upon them the fact that they could see

the Father by faith alone. God cannot be seen in external form by any

human being. Christ alone can represent the Father to humanity. This

representation the disciples had been privileged to behold for over three

years."—Ellen G. White Comments,

S.D.A Bible Commentary , vol.

pp. 1141, 1142.

Because of sin not only was it impossible for the disciples to see the

Father's external form, but Jesus also implied clearly that to do so was

not important. What was important was that they see His character.

"Man looketh on the outward appearance" (1 Sam. 16:7), and a human

tendency is to assess and evaluate others based in some measure on that

outward physical appearance. But Jesus wanted His followers to know

and appreciate the Father's character, to know and love the Father as a

Person, irrespective of His form or appearance. Indeed, had they been

able to see the Father's outward form it might well have proven a hin-

drance to them in getting to know Him, as His glory and majesty might

have caused them to view Him as unapproachable.

Some may ask how is it possible to get to know—much less love—

someone you cannot see? Yet, does this not happen every day all around

us? People fall in love through correspondence, over the telephone, even

over ham radio. Such relationships often flourish and endure whether or

not the parties involved are ever privileged to meet in person.

In human relationships, in fact, it is precisely the "love" based primar-

ily on physical attraction that has the least hope of survival. Relation-

ships built on an ever-growing appreciation of inner personality and char-

acter are those most likely to succeed.

When Jesus said, "If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father," it

is clear that He meant His followers to seek to discover what the Father is

like by observing the character and personality, the words and the deeds,

of the Son.

This week we will consider why it was so vital a part of Christ's mis-

sion to this planet to reveal clearly to humanity what the Father was like.

We also will seek to learn more of the intimacy and constancy of the rela-

tionship between Father and Son that prevailed throughout Christ's so-

journ here on earth. Finally, we will reflect on the implications of that

close Father-Son relationship for our own walk with Christ.

I. JESUS CAME TO REVEAL THE FATHER (John 1:18).

Slowly turning the pages of the photo album, a minister lingered over

each of the children's faces there—remembering. While on vacation at

his parents' home on the Oregon coast, he held in his hands an album

filled with pictures of the 100 or more foster children that his mother had

taken into her home over the years. Some he remembered in a special

way—they had shared the home while he and his sister still were chil-

dren. Others had come along after the two of them had left home.

Turning yet another page, he suddenly froze, riveted to a page of pho-

tographs that immediately aroused a spectrum of strong and deep emo-

tions.

Standing there in a little blue dress was four-year-old Tammy with her

blackened eyes and battered face. Her entire body gave evidence of a

severe beating. Her tiny fists were clenched tightly, and she stood at an

awkward angle.

Born with a defect (malformed hip joints), she had endured surgery for

cirrhosis of the liver while yet a toddler—the legacy of a drinking mother.

Perhaps in part because of her physical handicaps, she had been routinely

and severely abused by her parents for all of her short life.

After knowing nothing but hell on earth, her stay in her new home must

have seemed like heaven. At the bottom of the album page the minister

noticed a photo taken after Tammy had been in her new home for just a

few weeks. Nearly all of the swelling and bruises were gone, and her

SUN

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Data ne

gto

smile was noticeably brighter. She was the kind of little girl you would

like to scoop up in your arms and hold tightly for a good long while.

Later Tammy found a permanent home with a young couple who to-

tally adored her, so what began in horror turned to real happiness.

One of the great tragedies of child abuse is the countless number of

children in whom the words

father

mother

arouse nothing but fear and

hatred. Yet the plain fact is that the entire human race continually is being

misinformed that the greatest abuser of His children in all the universe is

the One who has invited us to call Him

Father.

Satan would have us be-

lieve that our Father in heaven is a cruel and heartless parent, determined

to fill the lives of His children with misery and pain.

ILLUMINATION:

"Satan has ascribed to God all the evils to which flesh

is heir. He has represented Him as a God who delights in the sufferings of

His creatures, who is revengeful and

implacable."—Counsels to Teach-

ers ,

p. 27.

REACT: John 1:18 tells us that Jesus has revealed the Father to us. The

evidence given us by Christ's life on earth is that the Father is merciful,

patient, and full of love. How have you personally related to the question of

why God permits suffering and tragedy?

•

Why is Satan so intent in his efforts to misrepresent the character of

God?

"From the beginning it has been Satan's studied plan to cause men to

forget God, that he might secure them to himself. Hence he has sought to

misrepresent the character of God, to lead men to cherish a false concep-

tion of Him. The Creator has been presented to their minds as clothed

with the attributes of the prince of evil himself,—as arbitrary, severe, and

unforgiving,—that He might be feared, shunned, and even hated by

men."—Testimonies , vol.

5, p. 738.

In every possible way, Satan has attempted to make God look bad.

When people suffer and grieve, he lets no opportunity pass to suggest that

God is responsible. How, he asks, can a Father of love stand by and do

nothing as He watches His children suffer?

Satan also has persuaded much of humanity to accept his diabolical

doctrine of the eternal torment of the wicked. No feat of mental gymnas-

tics is possible that can harmonize this horrendous idea with the teaching

that God is a Father of love.

How does Satan work today to press his original charges against the gov-

ernment and character of God?

"Satan represents God's law of love as a law of selfishness. He de-

clares that it is impossible for us to obey its precepts. The fall of our first

parents, with all the woe that has resulted, he charges upon the Creator,

leading men to look upon God as the author of sin, and suffering, and

death."—The

Desire of Ages ,

p. 24.

ATEN (togt..401NAgykl

For thousands of years before the incarnation of Christ, the public rela-

tions firm of "Satan and Associates" devoted their prodigious talents to

making God look bad. Unfortunately their efforts met with spectacular

success. By the time Christ came to this earth, even God's own people

nearly had lost sight of His true character. It was urgently necessary that

the human race be told the truth about God—that concentrated efforts be

put forth to show that God is good.

Thus one of the primary goals of Jesus in His mission to this planet was

to reveal the Father clearly to His children on earth. "Christ came to

reveal God to the world as a God of love, full of mercy, tenderness, and

compassion. The thick darkness with which Satan had endeavored to en-

shroud the throne of Deity was swept away by the world's Redeemer,

and the Father was again manifest to men as the light of

life."—Testimo-

nies, vol.

5, pp. 738, 739.

SEARCH AND LEARN: As noted in this week's introduction, the word

Father is the most frequently used of the key words in John's Gospel. Be-

cause it is capitalized wherever it refers to God, it is relatively easy to pick

out while scanning through the Bible text. Why not take time to underline

with a colored pencil each occurrence of the word throughout the Gospel of

John?

II. THE MUTUAL INDWELLING OF JESUS AND THE FATHER (John

14:10).

COMPARE: "I am in the Father," Jesus said, "and the Father in me."

What can this mean? Compare our verse for this section with John 17:21

and note below any insights you may have.

Mutual indwelling.

The Father in the Son; the Son in the Father. Cer-

tainly, as suggested by John 17:21, these phrases are meant to be descrip-

tive of oneness—of unity. While a degree of mystery always must attend

our understanding of this special relationship between Christ and His Fa-

ther, we are privileged and challenged to explore it to the limits of our

finite comprehension.

Whatever else Jesus meant by the words, "I am in the Father," it is

clear that He meant that He was

in dependence on

the Father. "I can of

mine own self do nothing," He had said in John 5:30. In saying that the

Father was in Him, He must at least have meant that the Father was in

the Son providing

power to do

the works He was doing: "The Father that

dwelleth in me, he doeth the works" (John 14:10).

What was another primary goal that Jesus had in coming to this earth?

1 John 2:6.

Jesus provided a clear example to human beings as to how to obey God

and to resist temptation successfully.

Some Christians today believe that the idea of trying to follow the ex-

ample that Jesus set while here on earth is absurd. The reason for His

[GOlo &Om OfEvtaz

perfect obedience and resistance to temptation, they say, was that He

was not just like us. The rest of us are not even in His league. After all,

how can anyone who is human be expected to do what God can do? But,

"the Lord Jesus came to our world, not to reveal what a God could do,

but what a man could do, through faith in God's power to help in every

emergency."—Ellen G. White Comments,

S.D.A. Bible Commentary ,

vol.

7, p. 929.

THINK IT THROUGH: What does John 14:10 suggest to you concerning

the question of whether or not Jesus had an advantage over us because He

was God?

WED



Although Jesus, without question, was fully divine as well as fully human

while on this earth, what does He say about whether He ever relied on His

own divine power? John 5:30.

Ellen White describes the night that Jesus and His disciples were

caught in a violent storm on the Sea of Galilee: "When Jesus was awak-

ened to meet the storm, He was in perfect peace. There was no trace of

fear in word or look, for no fear was in His heart. But He rested not in the

possession of almighty power. It was not as the 'Master of earth and sea

and sky' that He reposed in quiet. That power He had laid down, and He

says, 'I can of Mine own self do nothing.' John 5:30. He trusted in the

Father's might. It was in faith—faith in God's love and care—that Jesus

rested, and the power of that word which stilled the storm was the power

of God."—The

Desire of Ages ,

p. 336.

Jesus laid aside the use of His divine power when He came to earth. He

voluntarily chose not to use any resources in His struggles with evil that

would not be available to us. When He said, "I can of mine own self do

nothing" (John 5:30), He was not saying that He

could

not act on His own

but that He

would

not—that He had chosen to deny Himself the exercise

of His divine power in His battles with evil. If this were not so, then the

devil's temptations in the wilderness would have been meaningless—for

they were attempts to press Christ into using his divinity.

How do we find the power that Jesus did to overcome temptation and sin?

2 Peter 1:2-4.

"The power of the Saviour's Godhead was hidden. He overcame in

human nature, relying upon God for power. This is the privilege of all."—

Ellen G. White Comments,

S.D.A. Bible Commentary , vol.

5, p. 1108.

The secret of Christ's power against temptation and sin while on this

earth is not to be found in the power of His divinity. It is found in His

constant dependence upon the power of His Father. Those who learn,

accept, and constantly act upon this now-open secret cannot be defeated

by the enemy.

III. THE MUTUAL INDWELLING OF JESUS AND HIS FOLLOWERS

(John 15:4).

What significant concept did Jesus illustrate by the connection between

the vine and the branches? John 15:1-5.

"Abide in me, and I in you." The mutual indwelling of Father and Son

brought power and victory to Jesus in His earthly life. Now He invites us

to enter into the same relationship of mutual indwelling with Himself.

"The Saviour was deeply anxious for His disciples to understand for

what purpose His divinity was united to humanity. . . . God was mani-

fested in Him that He might be manifested in them. Jesus revealed no

qualities, and exercised no powers, that men may not have through faith

in Him. His perfect humanity is that which all His followers may possess,

if they will be in subjection to God as He

was."—The Desire of Ages ,

664.

COMPARE: In John 5:30 Jesus implied that, because He chose to be contin-

ually dependent upon the Father, He could (by His own choice) do nothing.

Notice the similar wording in John 15:5. What exactly is it that Jesus could

not do? (See John 6:38.) What is it that we cannot do?

ILLUMINATION:

"The life that Christ lived in this world, men and

women can live through His power and under His instruction. In their

conflict with Satan they may have all the help that He had. They may be

more than conquerors through Him who loved them and gave Himself for

them."—Testimonies ,

vol. 9, p. 22.

FURTHER STUDY AND MEDITATION:

Look up and carefully reflect on

the following verses in the light of this week's lesson: Gal. 2:20; Phil. 2:12,

13; Phil. 4:13; Col. 1:27.

SUMMARY:

In His ministry, Jesus drew special attention to His relation-

ship to His Father. He knew that the human race needed more than any-

thing else to see the Father's love and power. They needed to see His love

because Satan had for so long slandered His character. They needed to

see His power that they might learn to rely on it for victory.

APPLICATION:

As Jesus came to reveal the Father, it is my privilege to reveal Jesus

and, indirectly, the Father in my life. In what specific ways and to what

person or persons can I reveal God's love this week?

In relying upon Christ for power to live the Christian life, what is my

part? What is His?

•

Through the Father's power, Jesus overcame every temptation, and in-

spired evidence suggests that I may do the same. With that possibility

before me, should I concentrate primarily on improving my behavior or

on improving my relationship with Christ?

Pentecost Now

THIS WEEK'S STUDY: John's account of Christ's teaching relative to the

Holy Spirit, as recorded in chapters 14 through 16.

TAI

MEMORY TEXT: "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you an-



other Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever" (John 14:16).

CENTRAL THOUGHT:

Heaven came down to this earth in the person of

Jesus and stayed for a little over 30 years. But thanks to Christ's succes-

sor and representative, the Holy Spirit, Heaven in one sense has been

even closer to earth since the departure of Christ than it could be while

He was here. In the upper room discourse, Jesus three times previewed

the work of the Spirit for His disciples then and for His disciples now.

What that work was and is we will discover in this week's study.

OUTLINE:

The Holy Spirit testifies of Jesus (John 15:26; 16:14).

II.

The Holy Spirit reproves the world (John 16:8-11).

III.

The Holy Spirit guides into all truth (John 16:13).

INTRODUCTION:

The Third Person of the Godhead is known as the

Holy Spirit. Even though the "dispensation of the Holy Spirit" (see

Tes-

timonies to Ministers ,

p. 511) began nearly two thousand years ago, and

even though significantly greater attention has been directed toward His

activities in recent years, the person and work of the Holy Spirit are

shrouded in both mystery and misunderstanding for many Christians to-

day. Yet this need not be so, for the Bible is neither silent nor ambiguous

on the subject.

As we prepare to invest a week of study on just a part of what the Bible

has to say about the Holy Spirit, we would do well to give prayerful con-

sideration to the following appeal—one of the most challenging ever

penned:

"The lapse of time has wrought no change in Christ's parting promise

to send the Holy Spirit as His representative. It is not because of any

restriction on the part of God that the riches of His grace do not flow

earthward to men. If the fulfillment of the promise is not seen as it might

be, it is because the promise is not appreciated as it should be. If all were

willing, all would be filled with the Spirit. Wherever the need of the Holy

Spirit is a matter little thought of, there is seen spiritual drought, spiritual

darkness, spiritual declension and death. Whenever minor matters oc-

cupy the attention, the divine power which is necessary for the growth

and prosperity of the church, and which would bring all other blessings in

its train, is lacking, though offered in infinite plenitude.



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Lesson

"Since this is the means by which we are to receive power, why do we

not hunger and thirst for the gift of the Spirit? Why do we not talk of it,

pray for it, and preach concerning it? The Lord is more willing to give the

Holy Spirit to those who serve Him than parents are to give good gifts to

their children."—The

Acts of the Apostles,

p. 50.

Were a job description for the Holy Spirit available, it would be exten-

sive indeed. There are many aspects to His work here on earth and it is

far-reaching. To investigate in detail the personality of the Spirit would

be a most rewarding endeavor, but this lies beyond the focus of this

week's lesson. Even to attempt a reasonably complete overview of His

work is a more ambitious enterprise than we will be able to accomplish.

Therefore, we will confine ourselves to what Jesus said about the Holy

Spirit's work in John's Gospel. Three times in His upper room discourse,

Jesus said that "when the Holy Spirit comes, he will. . ." Those three

glimpses of the Spirit's mission comprise our study this week.

SUN

I. THE HOLY SPIRIT TESTIFIES OF JESUS (John 15:26; 16:14).

What special task was given the Holy Spirit after Jesus returned to

heaven? John 16:7, 14.

As Jesus came to reveal the Father, the Holy Spirit has come to reveal

Jesus. The Holy Spirit has not come in order that attention might be fo-

cused on Himself. His great work is to help us see Jesus more clearly.

"As when we look through the telescope, we see not the lens but the

object the lens brings near, so through the Holy Spirit we see not Him,

but 'Jesus only.' "—LeRoy E. Froom,

The Coming of the Comforter

(Washington D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1928),

p. 29.

Among many Christians today there is a tendency to build their religion

around the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Spirit is not seen so much as

the necessary prerequisite for witnessing for Christ, as it is sought as evi-

dence of spiritual maturity. Because He has come to testify of Jesus, the

Holy Spirit doubtless is disappointed when He is made the great center of

attention.

"Sometimes when you listen to Bible teachers today you get the idea

that there is to be a kind of Jesus-oriented Bible teaching with which we

begin the Christian life, but that as we grow a bit and mature we are to

move on to Spirit-oriented truth, to recognize that the sign of maturity is

to be concerned no longer with Jesus but with the Spirit. Nothing could

be further from the truth. The work of the Spirit is to glorify Jesus. The

Spirit-filled life is the life in which Jesus is central. And the one who ma-

tures is the one who grows deeper in his understanding of Jesus."—Ray

C. Stedman,

Secrets of the Spirit,

p. 110.

SEARCH AND LEARN: Some believe that the Holy Spirit is power, influ-

ence, or energy, but not a person. What do the following four verses suggest

to you concerning this question? Rom. 8:27; 15:30; Eph. 4:30; 1 Cor. 12:11.

Paul said that Christ lived in him (Gal. 2:20). Christ living in us, he also

wrote, is our only hope of glory (Col. 1:27). The New Testament abounds

with references to the reality of Christ as an indwelling presence in hu-

man beings.

But because "Christ has carried His humanity into eternity" (Ellen G.

White Comments,

S.D.A. Bible Commentary , vol.

7, p. 925)—because

He is confined to a human body and can no longer be everywhere present

as He was before the incarnation—He now dwells in His followers

through the Holy Spirit. "It is through the Spirit that Christ dwells in

us."—The Desire of Ages ,

p. 388.

ILLUMINATION:

"The Holy Spirit is Christ's representative, but di-

vested of the personality of humanity, and independent thereof.

Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally.

Therefore, it was for their interest that He should go to the Father, and

send the Spirit to be His successor on earth."—The

Desire of Ages,

669.

"The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of

Christ."—The

Desire of Ages ,

p. 805.

During His ministry on earth, Christ was

with

human beings. Now,

through the Spirit, He is able to be

them. The Bible is filled with many

mysteries: for example, the mystery of iniquity (2 Thess. 2:7), the mys-

tery of godliness (1 Tim. 3:16), and the mystery of Christ in us (Col. 1:27).

Exactly how Christ lives in us through the Holy Spirit is beyond adequate

explanation. But to know the indwelling of Christ by experience is as sim-

ple as inviting Him in. (See Rev. 3:20.)

SEARCH AND LEARN: Notice in Romans 8:9-11 the repeated references

to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Notice, too, how Paul uses "Christ in

you" and "the Holy Spirit in you" interchangeably. What significant rela-

tionship do you notice between these verses and Romans 7:14-25?

NOTES:

II. THE HOLY SPIRIT REPROVES THE WORLD (John 16:8-11).

The original word for

reprove

(as it is translated by the King James

Version) is a word that is difficult to translate precisely into English, but

which can perhaps best be translated as

convict

convince.

When the Holy Spirit comes, Jesus said, He will convict "the world."

At times Bible writers use the word

world

to refer primarily or even

exclusively to nonbelievers. At other times

world

encompasses all hu-

manity. It would seem likely that John employs the word here in this lat-

ter sense.

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Lesson

SEARCH AND LEARN: Fill in the blanks below from John 16:9-11:

The Holy Spirit convicts—

Verse 9: Of



Verse 10: Of



Verse 11: Of



because

The Holy Spirit, Jesus said, will convict us of sin. "The human heart is

`deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked' (Jer. 17:9), and there

is nothing in which the deceitfulness of the human heart comes out more

clearly than in the blindness of every one of us to our sinfulness. We are

very sharp-sighted as regards the sins and shortcomings of others, but

very blind-to our own. The world is so blin, to its sinfulness that no one

but the Holy Spirit can ever convince the world of sin, that is, can ever

bring men to see how sinful they are."—R.

Torrey,

The Holy Spirit:

Who He Is and What He Does ,

pp. 42, 43.

ILLUSTRATION:

Those who crucified Christ were under no great con-

viction that what they were doing was wrong. Some even felt that they

were doing God a favor. But during Peter's sermon at Pentecost the Spirit

worked forcefully to convict them of their enormous sin, and "they were

pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles,

Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Acts 2:37.

Not

only is the

Holy Spirit a specialist at producing conviction of sin—

He is the

only

one who can do so. In our preaching, evangelism, and wit-

nessing we make a great mistake if

try to produce conviction of sin in

those for whom we work. But we can assist and cooperate with the Holy

Spirit in His work of producing conviction. The best way we can do this is

to exalt Jesus. Then, as people see the love and goodness of Christ, the

Holy Spirit drives home to their hearts the stark contrast beween Christ's

purity and their own all-pervading selfishness. Thus they are brought to

conviction and repentance.

What conclusions do you reach by comparing John 16:9 with the last

phrase of Romans 14:23?

The

Holy Spirit convicts human beings of sin "because they believe

not on me" Jesus said (John 16:9). Certainly this belief is more than sim-

ple mental assent to the reality of who Jesus was and what He did. As dis-

cussed in Lesson 2,

faith

and

belief

in John's Gospel imply

trust

in a Per-

son.

Thus the primary, basic sin of which the Holy Spirit convicts us is our

lack of trust—our lack of total reliance—on the righteousness of Jesus.

All of us need the continuing, daily conviction of the Spirit that we must

place no trust in our own works, goodness, behavior, performance, or

efforts.

because



because



The Holy Spirit also convicts us of righteousness (John 16:10)—which

is self-evidently

Christ's

righteousness, since none of us have any of our

own. Convicted of our lack of trust in Christ, we are then brought to the

conviction by the Holy Spirit that only one object is worthy of that

trust—the righteousness of Christ. The righteousness of Christ is avail-

able to us both as pardon for sins committed and as power to avoid falling

into sin. (See

Education,

p. 36.) Because Jesus no longer is personally

present with us for us to be able to

see

His righteousness displayed, it has

been given to the Holy Spirit to bring the righteousness of Christ force-

fully home to our hearts.

The third thing that we are told the Holy Spirit will convict or convince

us of is "of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged" (John

16:11). Depending on how this verse is applied, it can be viewed as a

message of fear or a message of hope.

If it applies primarily to the Spirit's work in producing a conviction in

sinners of coming judgment, it might well inspire fear—at least in those

who have chosen not to trust in Christ's righteousness.

WED



What does the evidence within John 16:11 suggest concerning the pri-

mary application of the judgment that Jesus had in mind?

John states that the Holy Spirit convicts us of judgment "because the

prince of this world is judged." In these words Jesus' primary emphasis

was on the judgment of "the prince of this world." (Compare John 12:31

and 14:30.) And "the prince of this world" is clearly none other than Sa-

tan himself. All who have followed Satan in rebellion also will be judged.

But if Satan has been judged, found guilty, and sentenced, then we bat-

tle a defeated enemy. The victory of Jesus over the empire of evil is our

victory. None of us need be intimidated or discouraged in our battles with

Satan, for he is a doomed demon. If we find victory in Jesus we will not

be intimidated by the thought of judgment but will look forward to it as

setting everything right.

III. THE HOLY SPIRIT GUIDES INTO ALL TRUTH (John 16:13).

Have you ever tapped a friend on the shoulder and called his name,

only to find yourself gazing blankly at a complete stranger when he turns

to face you? Have you ever claimed your luggage at an airport, only to

find strange name tags on it when you got home?

Look-alikes, mistaken identity—no harm done. None, that is, if we are

not talking about truth. Yet, for every truth, the devil has put together a

great array of look-alike errors. For every genuine truth he has produced

many counterfeits.

Millions today are engaged in an earnest, urgent search for truth. But

they are surrounded by a dissonant chorus of voices beckoning, "We

have the truth, follow us!" As a result many stand in bewildered confu-

sion.

THINK IT THROUGH: Taking into account the hundreds of Christian de-

nominations—let alone the many other religions and sects, each of which

claims to have the truth—how is the sincere seeker to know which really

does? Or do all roads lead to heaven?

Like the morning sun that drives back the summer fog comes the assur-

ance of Jesus that the Spirit will guide you into all truth. This promise of

divine guidance is unequivocal, and once claimed, should eliminate all

fearful uncertainty and all second thoughts. If a son asks his father for

bread, will he receive a stone? If he asks for a fish, will he receive a ser-

pent? If anyone asks for guidance into truth, will he be led into error? No.

Nothing in the universe is more dependable than God's promises.

POW.

THINK IT THROUGH:

Do you believe that the Holy Spirit is available to

guide individual Christians personally into truth? Can you illustrate this

from the history of the Seventh-day Adventist church? Recognizing that

one way God communicates truth is through His church and its leaders,

do you believe that there are times when personal interpretation must

give way to what the church as a whole has been led to accept? Where

would you draw the line between personal responsibility and the Lord's

guidance of His church?

What particularly qualifies the Holy Spirit to be our guide into truth?

2 Peter 1:21.

It would be a tremendous advantage to have the author of any book we

read personally available to answer questions—to clarify certain pas-

sages in his book. The fact is that with the Word of God, we have such an

opportunity. The Holy Spirit is on 24-hour call to guide us in our search

for truth in the Word. Indeed, without His guidance, our study of the

Word is fruitless, and we run the risk of stumbling into error even as we

read the Word.

ILLUMINATION:

"Without the Spirit of God a knowledge of His word is

of no avail. The theory of truth, unaccompanied by the Holy Spirit, can-

not quicken the soul or sanctify the heart. One may be familiar with the

commands and promises of the Bible; but unless the Spirit of God sets the

truth home, the character will not be transformed. Without the enlighten-

ment of the Spirit, men will not be able to distinguish truth from error,

and they will fall under the masterful temptations of Satan. "—Christ's

Object Lessons ,

pp. 408-411.

One of the great benefits of accepting the Holy Spirit as our Guide into

truth is that He helps us to recognize it when we find it. No sense of

nagging uneasiness plagues our peace of mind when we have found the

truth. The discovery of real truth results in a quiet mind and a satisfied

heart.

"The Comforter is called 'the Spirit of truth.' His work is to define and

maintain the truth. He first dwells in the heart as the Spirit of truth, and

thus He becomes the Comforter. There is comfort and peace in the truth,

but no real peace or comfort can be found in falsehood."—The

Desire of

Ages ,

p. 671.

FURTHER STUDY AND MEDITATION:

In Section II the Holy Spirit's work of convicting of judgment was

discussed. For a fascinating glimpse of this judgment as a message of

hope, read

The Desire of Ages ,

page 679, beginning with the first para-

graph and carrying over to the top of page 680.

In the Introduction we quoted from one of Ellen White's key state-

ments about the Holy Spirit. Another key statement appears on page 672

The Desire of Ages:

"Christ has promised the gift of the Holy Spirit to

His church, and the promise belongs to us as much as to the first dis-

ciples. But like every other promise, it is given on conditions. There are

many who believe and profess to claim the Lord's promise; they talk

about

Christ and

about

the Holy Spirit, yet receive no benefit. They do

not surrender the soul to be guided and controlled by the divine agencies.

We cannot use the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is to use us. Through the Spirit

God works in His people `to will and to do of His good pleasure.' Phil.

2:13. But many will not submit to this. They want to manage themselves.

This is why they do not receive the heavenly gift. Only to those who wait

humbly upon God, who watch for His guidance and grace, is the Spirit

given. The power of God awaits their demand and reception."

SUMMARY:

Before the arrival of the Holy Spirit in pentecostal fullness,

Jesus previewed the Spirit's work for the disciples. Among His tasks,

Jesus said, would be the following: (1) to witness of Jesus; (2) to convict

men of sin, righteousness, and judgment; and (3) to guide men into truth.

The Holy Spirit's work was not confined to the era of the early Christian

church. As we await an imminent Pentecost II, He is available to mani-

fest His power and presence to all who will yield themselves to His full

use.

APPLICATION:

Which is more true—that I need the Holy Spirit or that the Holy Spirit

needs me?

You will receive power, Jesus said, after the Holy Spirit comes upon

you. If my efforts to overcome sin, develop a Christlike character, and

reach others for Christ seem to be going nowhere, could this be the

help I need?

Do I know exactly what conditions must be met in order for the latter

rain of the Holy Spirit to be realized? Do I know what the gifts of the

Spirit are and which of those gifts I possess? Can I make time in my

busy schedule to study more deeply into these questions?

How can the masses of people today who have not yet been guided into

truth learn about the ministry of the Holy Spirit? How can they realize

His superiority over the many counterfeit spirits they encounter?

Someone once said to Dwight L. Moody that the world had yet to see

what God could do with, for, in, and through a person totally sur-

rendered to be used by the Holy Spirit. Moody determined to be such a

person. Could I not do the same?

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The Day he Wore

My Crown

THIS WEEK'S STUDY: John 18 and 19.

SA B

MEMORY TEXT: "Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto



them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find

no fault in him. Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns,

and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!"

(John 19:4, 5).

CENTRAL THOUGHT:

The cross of Jesus Christ is at once the greatest

shame and the greatest glory of the human race. The greatest shame, be-

cause we were and are individually and collectively responsible for the

death of Jesus. The greatest glory, because as the Representative of our

race Jesus decisively defeated sin and death for us and gave us another

chance at eternal life.

OVERVIEW—John 18, 19

John 18:1-12

John 18:13 - 19:15

John 19:16-42

The betrayal and arrest

in Gethsemane

The trials

The crucifixion

and burial

INTRODUCTION:

We are counseled that "It would be well for us to

spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ.

We should take it point by point, and let the imagination grasp each

scene, especially the closing ones."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 83. (Com-

pare

Testimonies,

vol. 4, p. 374.)

As we spend a few thoughtful hours this week in contemplation and

discussion of the moving closing scenes of Christ's life, consider three

significant truths about His great sacrifice for us.

First, the cold Roman spikes through His hands and feet did not keep

Jesus pinned to the cross—love did. In Gethsemane, Jesus could in-

stantly have deprived those who came to arrest Him of their power or

their lives. They came against Him with "lanterns and torches and weap-

ons" (John 18:3). Weapons? Against the Source of all power? Against the

Creator of a million suns? Then they bound Him.

They

bound

Him?

How

pathetically impossible! In their ignorance they could not know that Om-

nipotence cannot be chained—the Creator cannot be captured by His

creatures.

Even on the cross, although it may have

appeared

to the onlooking

crowd that Jesus was physically at the mercy of His tormenters, such was

not the case for even an instant. The power to deliver Himself and to

vaporize His executioners was always His. But He could not use that

power, because He was bound by a power far greater than that of ropes

or spikes—the power of His love for you and me.

A second important truth of Christ's sacrifice is that we

personally

are

responsible for His death. How easy it is to turn 'an accusing finger upon

the Jewish leaders and charge

them

with Christ's death. How simple a

matter to recoil in outraged horror at the hardened cruelty of the Romans

who crucified our Lord. How quickly we find ourselves rushing to agree

with the old king of France, who exclaimed indignantly, "I wish I had

been there with ten thousand of my soldiers. I would have cut their

throats sooner than they should have touched Him!"

But we could never be more tragically wrong than to place the guilt for

Christ's death upon scheming Jewish leaders or unfeeling Roman sol-

diers. To do so is to join Pilate in attempting to wash our hands of our own

guilt. The Jews did not kill Jesus. The Romans did not kill Jesus. Even the

cross did not kill Jesus. Jesus already had begun to die in Gethsemane

before the Jews and Roman soldiers arrived to arrest Him. His death on

the cross came too quickly to be solely the result of crucifixion.

It was not what happened to His body that killed Jesus. It was what

happened to His mind—His heart and soul. It was the life-crushing bur-

den of the sins of all of humanity that finally brought His death.

Which brings us to a third truth of Christ's sacrifice—the fact of exactly

what Jesus experienced on the cross. Physical pain? To be sure. Crucifix-

ion was ingeniously designed to create intense physical pain and suffer-

ing. But a view of the cross in which great sympathy focuses primarily on

Christ's physical agony falls short of understanding what He went

through for us.

As intense and excruciating as His physical pain must have been, we

are astonished to be told that this pain was "hardly felt" because of the

presence of another source of pain far more all-consuming. What was the

source of pain? What did Jesus experience on the cross? For answers,

read the paragraphs from

The Desire of Ages,

page 753 in the "Further

Study" section later in this lesson.

I. THE BETRAYAL AND ARREST IN GETHSEMANE (John 18:1-12).

What is the significance of the words "went forth" in verse 4?

From His great prayer struggle in the garden (chronicled by the other

Gospel writers), Jesus "went forth" (verse 4) to face His betrayer. Judas

led the way to Jesus for what apparently was a large mob. Verse 3 says he

had with him "a band" of men. The original word used here refers to a

500 to 600-man detachment of Roman soldiers. The "officers of the

Jews" (verses 3, 12) would be the temple police. In addition, the crowd

included many of the priests and elders and an unknown number of the

common rabble along for the excitement. (See

The Desire of Ages ,

696.)

From the moment the mob came face to face with Jesus, on through

His trials and crucifixion, and finally up to the moment of His death,

those who had arrested Him thought that they were in charge—that Jesus

was under their control. They thought that they had Him securely bound.

They thought that He was their unwilling prisoner during His trials. They

thought that they had Him secured to a cross from which He could not

escape. They thought that He had died and would never cause them prob-

lems again. But Jesus was in total control of events every step of the way

from the moment He made the decision and "went forth." They could

have done nothing to Him that He did not allow them to do.

In reality, who took Christ's life? John 10:17, 18.

REACT: Jesus chose to die. He could have left the human race to die, and

returned in innocence to His Father. (See

The Desire of Ages,

pp. 688, 690.)

Legally He had that right, that choice, that option. But His love for us was

so enormous that it in fact deprived Him of that choice. Because of love,

Jesus chose to die—He really had no other choice. How does it make you

feel to be the object of that kind of love?

What is significant about Jesus' response to the mob in Gethsemane when

they said that they were seeking "Jesus of Nazareth"? John 18:4-6.

Notice the "I AM"—the same words He spoke to Moses at the burning

bush. Review the study of the "I AM" statements in Lesson 8.

"As these words were spoken, the angel who had lately ministered to

Jesus moved between Him and the mob. A divine light illuminated the

Saviour's face, and a dovelike form overshadowed Him. In the presence

of this divine glory, the murderous throng could not stand for a moment.

They staggered back. Priests, elders, soldiers, and even Judas, fell as

dead men to the ground."—The

Desire of Ages ,

p. 694.

When they had recovered, what did Jesus ask? How did they respond?

Verses 7, 8.

Their answer and His reply were the same as before. Then, gesturing

toward His remaining eleven disciples, He said, "Let these go their way"

(John 18:8).

What part did Judas play in the events that followed? Matt. 26:48-50.

The mob grew bold as they saw Judas touch Christ. The leaders of the

mob rushed forward to bind Jesus. Peter could restrain himself no longer.

Rushing at the man nearest him, who happened to be Malchus—the high

priest's servant—Peter raised his sword high and brought it down with all

the force of his powerful fisherman's arms, leaving Malchus without his

right ear. Peter was prevented from making further use of his sword by

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the voice of Jesus saying, "Put your sword back, Peter. What is happen-

ing may not seem right to you, but this is supposed to happen."

NOTICE that it is Doctor Luke who tells us that Jesus touched Malchus

and healed his ear (Luke 22:51). That was Jesus' last-known miracle of

healing while on this earth.

II. THE TRIALS (John 18:13 through 19:15).

What differing realms of authority did Jesus face in His trials?

The political rulers were Roman; the religious rulers were Jewish.

Shown below in chronological order are the various trials and hearings to

which Jesus was subjected prior to the crucifixion.

The Religious Trials and Hearings:

Hearing before Annas (John 18:13, 14, 19-24).

Pre-dawn illegal trial before the Sanhedrin (Matt. 26:57-75).

Post-dawn formal trial before the Sanhedrin (Luke 22:66-71).

The Political Dials and Hearings:

First trial before Pilate (John 18:28-38).

Hearing before Herod Antipas (Luke 23:6-12).

Second trial before Pilate (John 18:39 through 19:16).

Notice that in his Gospel, John deals with only three of the six pro-

ceedings. (He is the only Gospel writer to chronicle Christ's appearance

before Annas.) The remaining three trials are recorded by the other Gos-

pel writers. In addition to the six phases of Christ's prolonged night and

morning of trial listed above, Ellen White, in

The Desire of Ages ,

page

703, adds a seventh which took place after Christ's hearing before Annas

and prior to His first appearance before the Sanhedrin. After summoning

a select group of the Sanhedrin, Annas and Caiaphas together interro-

gated Christ in another unsuccessful attempt to obtain incriminating evi-

dence. This section of our lesson will be limited to a brief consideration of

the three phases of Christ's trial recorded by John. Let us set the stage for

our study by noticing the special challenge the priests faced in attempting

to convict Jesus on both religious and political grounds.

BACKGROUND:

"Christ was to be tried formally before the Sanhedrin;

but before Annas He was subjected to a preliminary trial. Under the Ro-

man rule the Sanhedrin could not execute the sentence of death. They

could only examine a prisoner, and pass judgment, to be ratified by the

Roman authorities. It was therefore necessary to bring against Christ

charges that would be regarded as criminal by the Romans. An accusa-

tion must also be found which would condemn Him in the eyes of the

Jews. . . . There were two charges which the priests desired to maintain.

If Jesus could be proved a blasphemer, He would be condemned by the

Jews. If convicted of sedition, it would secure His condemnation by the

Romans. The second charge Annas tried first to establish."—The

Desire

of Ages ,

pp. 698, 699.

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The hearing before Annas (John 18:13, 19-24).

Christ's appearance be-

fore Annas was a mockery of Jewish justice. Annas hoped to pressure

Jesus into saying something that could be interpreted as evidence that He

was setting up a secret society to overthrow the government.

How did Jesus respond? John 18:20, 21.

Annas was silenced. One officer, in utter frustration, slapped Jesus full

on the face. Although Jesus suffered under the abuse, He would not be

provoked nor would he retaliate.

The first trial before Pilate (John 18:28-38).

Having been sent by Annas

to the court of Caiaphas, Jesus, in successive sessions of the Sanhedrin,

was found guilty of blasphemy. He had claimed to be the Son of God.

And the Jewish leaders now hoped to construe His claim to the Mes-

siahship into a seditious political claim. With that in mind, they rushed

Him to the judgment hall of the Roman governor, Pilate. The governor

was in a testy mood, having been awakened long before his customary

rising time to deal with this case. He had to go outside the hall to meet

Christ's accusers as they refused to come in for fear of becoming ceremo-

nially defiled.

"What is your charge against Him?" Pilate asked the Jews. "Would

we bring Him to you if He were not a criminal?" they replied. "In that

case, you judge Him," Pilate replied. "We already have, and we already

have sentenced Him," they admitted. "But, because our sentence is

death, you must ratify it in order for Him to be executed?

SEARCH AND LEARN: Study Pilate's private conversation with Jesus in

John 18:33-38. Why did Pilate initiate this conversation? What was Jesus

attempting to accomplish through His replies to Pilate? (See

The Desire of

Ages,

pp. 726, 727.)

The second trial before Pilate (John 18:39 to 19:16).

By comparison with

Luke 23, we learn that between what is recorded in verse 38 and verse 39

of John 18, Jesus was sent to Herod.

Shuttled back to an exasperated Pilate, Jesus was scourged. By order-

ing this Pilate hoped to arouse the pity of the mob. Instead, his weakness

at punishing a man he already had declared innocent emboldened them to

cry out even more persistently for Christ's death.

After a second private conversation with Jesus, Pilate returned to the

mob to press for the release of Jesus. At this, the enraged Jewish leaders

openly threatened Pilate with loss of his job. "If you do not crucify

Jesus," they said, "we will see to it that Caesar gets word that you were

soft on a known enemy of his government." They touched Pilate where

he was most sensitive.

A few more feeble pleas for reason, a futile and public washing of

hands to absolve himself of responsibility, and Pilate gave in completely.

"Take Him away," he said. "Do what you will."

III. THE CRUCIFIXION AND BURIAL (John 19:16-42).

John's account of the crucifixion itself is brief, yet detailed—simple,

yet compelling. After his straightforward statement that Jesus bore His

cross to Golgotha and was crucified between "two others" (John 19:18,

NIV), John reports events in a quick series of six vivid scenes.

SEARCH AND LEARN: For each of John's six written snapshots in 19:19-

42, supply the subject of the scene on the line provided. Then choose one of

these scenes to study and contemplate in depth:

Verses 19-22



Verses 23, 24



Verses 25-27



Verses 28-30



Verses 31-37



Verses 38-42



An entire week—an entire quarter—could be spent studying the pas-

sage used in this one section of our lesson. Whether analyzed by the mind

or apprehended by the heart, the events of Calvary are so large with

meaning, so heavy with significance, that we merely can ripple the sur-

face of these deep waters. The events of this passage and their signifi-

cance will form the heart of our ongoing study through eternity.

Rather than follow John's narrative here, we will notice certain fea-

tures of this passage that emerge as we examine it.

What is the significance of John's repeated assertion that certain things

happened "that the scripture might be fulfilled?"

The intent of these words is not to suggest that events took place to

confirm Scripture, but to attest that these particular events were the ful-

fillment of Scripture. Besides that, notice that even as Jesus was physi-

cally and mentally brutalized, symbols of His perfect and unblemished

character and sacrifice surrounded Him. The seamless coat remained

seamless. His bones remained unbroken.

Finally, notice the people in this passage. Pilate, so weak about a mat-

ter of supreme importance—the fate of Christ—suddenly became im-

movable about a relatively minor matter—the wording of a sign over the

cross. Three Marys and a fourth woman, probably Christ's Aunt Salome,

ignored the real risks to their own safety in being present at the foot of the

cross. Perfect love casts out fear. And two men, Joseph and

Nicodemus—who had been following Jesus secretly—became more open

in their allegiance as they provided Him a decent resting place.

FURTHER STUDY AND MEDITATION:

In the Introduction for this

week we considered the question of what Jesus really went through for us

on the cross. Ponder the following paragraphs:

"Upon Christ as our substitute and surety was laid the iniquity of us

all. He was counted a transgressor, that He might redeem us from the

condemnation of the law. The guilt of every descendent of Adam was

pressing upon His heart. The wrath of God against sin, the terrible mani-

festation of His displeasure because of iniquity, filled the soul of His Son

with consternation. All His life Christ had been publishing to a fallen

world the good news of the Father's mercy and pardoning love. Salvation

for the chief of sinners was His theme. But now with the terrible weight of

guilt He bears, He cannot see the Father's reconciling face. The with-

drawal of the divine countenance from the Saviour in this hour of su-

preme anguish pierced His heart with a sorrow that can never be fully

understood by man. So great was this agony that His physical pain was

hardly felt.

"Satan with his fierce temptations wrung the heart of Jesus. The

Saviour could not see through the portals of the tomb. Hope did not pres-

ent to Him His coming forth from the grave a conqueror, or tell Him of

the Father's acceptance of the sacrifice. He feared that sin was so offen-

sive to God that Their separation was to be eternal. Christ felt the anguish

which the sinner will feel when mercy shall no longer plead for the guilty

race. It was the sense of sin, bringing the Father's wrath upon Him as

man's substitute, that made the cup He drank so bitter, and broke the

heart of the Son of God." The

Desire of Ages ,

p. 753.

Should you be interested in a more complete discussion and overview

of Christ's trials, study the

S.D.A. Bible Commentary, vol.

5, pp. 201,

225, 233, 538, 539, and

The Desire of Ages,

pages 698-715; 723-740.

SUMMARY:

Almost too quickly we have passed over the greatest event

since the Creation. The Creator Himself suffered and died that we might

be re-created in His image and prepared for a place with Him in His soon-

coming kingdom. How can we comprehend such a magnificent sacrifice?

APPLICATION:

Study Peter's triple denial of his Master, which was not covered in the

body of this lesson (John 18:15-18; 25-27). Like Peter, who did not

shrink from active warfare for his Lord, am I nonetheless ever in dan-

ger of being driven by ridicule to deny Jesus?

Have I accepted the challenge of spending at least one thoughtful hour

a day contemplating the life of Christ? If not, why? If so, what were the

results in my life?

Pilate presented the mob with a choice between Jesus and Barabbas.

Satan often presents us with a choice between Jesus and something or

someone else. What has been (or is) my "Barabbas"?

He Lives!

THIS WEEK'S STUDY: John 20 and 21.

SAB

MEMORY TEXT: "Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou

FUJI

hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen,

and yet have believed" (John 20:29).

CENTRAL THOUGHT:

As day dawned over Joseph's new tomb, the sol-

diers stationed there witnessed the most spectacular event in the history

of this sinful world—the resurrection of the Son of God. John describes

what happened when the vacant tomb was discovered. Writing later, Paul

tells us what that empty chamber means for us. Because of what hap-

pened that Sunday morning, a journey to the grave is a round-trip for

those who are in Jesus.

OVERVIEW—John 20, 21

John 20:1-18

John 20:19 to 21:23

John 21:24, 25

Resurrection morning

Post-resurrection

appearances

Epilogue

INTRODUCTION:

Have you ever had to crawl through a window or find

some other way of gaining entrance after finding yourself locked out of

the house without a key? However, being locked

out

probably is not as

unpleasant as being locked

a room, an elevator, or a prison cell—with

no way to get out.

At the end of life, we are taken captive by a great enemy called death—

and not one of us has the key needed to set ourselves free. We face the

startling fact that if Jesus had not risen from the tomb, as confirmed by

John in this week's study, no human being who dies could ever live again.

The resurrection of Christ is more than the greatest of His miracles. It is

more than an important doctrine of the church. The resurrection of Christ

was an absolute necessity if any who have died are to live again.

Paul tells us why in 1 Corinthians 15:22: "For as in Adam all die, even

so in Christ shall all be made alive." "In Adam"—"in Christ"—what

does this mean?

Biologically speaking, we were all "in Adam" in Eden. The life that

was in Adam has been passed on through countless generations, in one

unbroken stream, to you and to me. If you do not believe that you were in

Adam there in Eden, consider where you would be if he had died without

having had descendents.

But in a far broader sense than mere biology, in God's reckoning all of

us have been included in Adam. What is true for the father of the race is

true for all its members. Our fate, our destiny, is included in his. So Paul

tells us that when one man (Adam) sinned and brought death into the

world, that death "passed upon all men" (Rom. 5:12).

Sometimes when the first mountain climber on a rope falls, the climber

takes the others tied to the rope down with him. When Adam fell, he took

us down with him. All of us came under the power of death when Adam

did. When he died, he was a prisoner of the grave. He was locked in. And

when we die, so are we. Adam had no key to unlock his own grave.

Somewhere it holds him still.

We might well abandon hope and embrace despair if it were not for the

thrilling news that God shares with us in His Word. Adam

did

sin. He

did

bring us all under the power of death. But God has sent a second Adam to

attempt success where the first Adam failed. The second Adam gloriously

succeeded!

And now God gives each of us a choice. Will we choose for God to

include us "in Adam" or "in Christ"—in Adam I or in Adam II? (See

1 Cor. 15:45.)

If by our choice we elect to be included in Christ, then in God's reckon-

ing Christ becomes the new head of our race. Whatever goes for Him

goes for us. Our fate, our destiny, is included in His. "As in Adam all die,

even so in Christ shall all be made alive" (1 Cor. 15:22).

When Jesus stepped forth from His tomb in dazzling glory that long-

ago Sunday morning, He did so as the new head of the human race. The

first Adam was taken prisoner by death. The second Adam defeated

death decisively.

Therefore, if the head of the race has broken the power of death, the

grave no longer has power to imprison forever the individual members of

that race. Death is reduced to locking up its prisoners for a time until

Jesus comes to set them free. Death is a defeated enemy, and how can we

fear a beaten foe?

Death, where is your sting? Grave, where is your victory? Against our

will you may steal away those we love and lock them up in your prison.

But you cannot keep them there. Jesus soon will be here to set them free.

I. RESURRECTION MORNING (John 20:1-18).

Which of the followers of Jesus was the first to discover the empty tomb?

John 20:1, 2.

Of those who knew Jesus while He was here on earth, it may well be

that no one loved Him more than Mary Magdalene. Because Mary had

sinned much and been forgiven much, she loved much.

Ellen White makes it clear that Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany,

the sister of Martha and Lazarus, were the same person: "Seven times

she [ Mary ] had heard his rebuke of the demons that controlled her heart

and mind. . . . Through His [Jesus' ] grace she became a partaker of the

divine nature. The one who had fallen, and whose mind had been a habi-

tation of demons, was brought very near to the Saviour in fellowship and

ministry. It was Mary who sat at His feet and learned of Him. It was Mary

who poured upon His head the precious anointing oil, and bathed His feet

with her tears. Mary stood beside the cross, and followed Him to the

sepulcher. Mary was first at the tomb after His resurrection. It was Mary

who first proclaimed a risen Saviour."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 568.

Before sunrise Sunday morning, the women who had stood at the foot

of Christ's cross made their way to His tomb, carrying precious spices

with which they hoped to anoint His body. Mary Magdalene, approach-

ing the tomb from a different direction than the other women, arrived

first. (See

The Desire of Ages,

p. 788.)

Suddenly she stopped short in stunned amazement. The stone sealing

the tomb had been rolled aside. Adrenalin surging through her system,

she ran on winged feet to Jerusalem to tell Peter and John.

"They have taken the Lord away," she informed them in breathless

anguish, "and I do not know where He is." Perhaps she feared that the

Jews had taken Christ's body away for their own dark purposes. Or per-

haps grave robbers had broken into the tomb.

THINK IT THROUGH: John 20:2 says that Mary ran with the news of the

unsealed tomb to tell Peter and "the other disciple, whom Jesus loved"—

John's style of humble self-reference throughout his Gospel. If we agree

that Jesus displayed no favoritism, how do you explain the special closeness

He enjoyed with John? (See

The Acts of the Apostles,

pp. 539, 544, and 545.)

When Mary had arrived with her distressing announcement, Peter and

John flew into action. The three of them raced back to the tomb. Young

John arrived first, Peter next, and Mary not long after.

Cautiously John stooped and peered into the tomb. The body was

gone! He saw the grave-clothes but the tomb definitely was empty. Peter

arrived and, true to his nature, continued on inside. John followed, and

they contemplated together the neatly folded grave-clothes. (Based on

The Desire of Ages ,

p. 789.)



Why was Mary weeping over the empty tomb? John 20:13.

After Peter and John left in puzzled astonishment to return to the city,

Mary lingered near the tomb, grief-stricken that her beloved Master's

body somehow had been removed from the sepulcher. Perhaps, she

thought, someone considered this tomb too honorable for Christ. She

knew of another vacant grave where Jesus might rest—the one where her

brother, Lazarus, had so recently slept in death.

Stooping to gaze once again into the tomb, Mary saw two angels sitting

there. She apparently was so distraught that she neither recognized them

as angels nor became curious as to their identity.

THINK IT THROUGH: Jesus repeatedly told His followers that He would

die and rise again the third day. Why, then, was His resurrection such a

total and overwhelming surprise to them that at first they could not

even

believe the evidence of their own senses?

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The next scene in John's narrative is one of the most profoundly mov-

ing in all Scripture. Turning from the tomb, her eyes blinded by tears,

Mary saw—perhaps off to one side—the form of a man she assumed to be

the gardener.

"Woman," a voice asked, "why are you weeping? Whom do you

seek?"

"Oh, Sir," she pleaded, "if you have taken Him away, please just tell

me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away."

The sobs continued.

"Mary."

Recognition! A jolt of joy spun Mary around to face her living Lord.

She almost lunged for Him, prepared to embrace His feet and wash them

once again—this time with tears of pure joy.

But Jesus raised His hand. "Mary," He said, "do not embrace Me just

now. Do not delay Me, for

must quickly ascend to My Father. But could

you do Me a favor, Mary? Please go tell the disciples that you have seen

Me and that

am ascending to the Father."

Immediately Mary complied.

ILLUMINATION: "Jesus refused to receive the homage of His people

until He had the assurance that His sacrifice was accepted by the Father.

He ascended to the heavenly courts, and from God Himself heard the

assurance that His atonement for the sins of men had been ample, that

through His blood all might gain eternal life."—The

Desire of Ages ,

790.

FOR REFLECTION: King David died but did not go to heaven. (See Acts

2:29, 34.) Lazarus died, but, resurrected four days later, he said nothing

of having gone to heaven. Now, after a weekend in the tomb, Jesus told

Mary that He had

not yet

ascended to His Father. What does this suggest

to you regarding the common teaching that at death the saints ascend

directly to heaven?

II.

POST-RESURRECTION

APPEARANCES (John 20:19 through

21:23).

John concludes his Gospel narrative with three appearances of Jesus to

His disciples following His resurrection. The first was on the evening of

resurrection Sunday, the second eight days later, and the third still later

as the disciples fished on the Sea of Galilee.

What was the purpose of Christ's appearances after the resurrection?

"Christ's first work on earth after His resurrection was to convince

His disciples of His undiminished love and tender regard for them. To

give them proof that He was their living Saviour, that He had broken the

fetters of the tomb, and could no longer be held by the enemy death; to

reveal that He had the same heart of love as when He was with them as

their beloved Teacher, He appeared to them again and again. He would

draw the bonds of love still closer around them."—The

Desire of Ages ,

793.

Mary and the other women (Matt. 28:1-9) had delivered Christ's mes-

sages to the disciples, but the men still could not believe that Jesus was

risen. Evening found them huddled in fear behind the barred doors of the

upper room.

Suddenly Someone else stood with them in the room. They had heard

no footsteps—no knock. "Peace be unto you" (John 20:19), Jesus

greeted them. He showed them His hands and His side.

"Then," John writes in his calmly understated way, "were the disci-

ples glad, when they saw the Lord" (John 20:20). Glad? Might not "deli-

rious with ecstasy" or "beside themselves with joy" be more descrip-

tive?

THINK IT THROUGH: The disciples were so fearful and depressed that

they missed even the most obvious evidences of Christ's resurrection. The

Sunday they might have spent rejoicing they spent in hopeless despair. Are

we sometimes so blinded by our own sorrow or discouragement that we fail

to realize the immediate presence of Jesus with us?

Greeting them again with peace, Jesus began sharing His great vision

of the future with His overjoyed disciples. "As the Father has sent me,"

He told them, "I am sending you into the world."

With the launching of His church on earth only days away, what did

Jesus do to prepare its charter leaders for their task? John 20:22 .

ILLUMINATION:

"The Holy Spirit was not yet fully manifested; for

Christ had not yet been glorified. The more abundant impartation of the

Spirit did not take place till after Christ's ascension. Not until this was

received could the disciples fulfill the commission to preach the gospel to

the world. But the Spirit was now given for a special purpose. Before the

disciples could fulfill their official duties in connection with the church,

Christ breathed His Spirit upon them. He was committing to them a most

sacred trust, and He desired to impress them with the fact that without

the Holy Spirit this work could not be accomplished."—The

Desire of

Ages,

p. 805.

WED

SEARCH AND LEARN: Read John 20:23. How do you understand this

verse? Is Jesus, saying that the church can forgive sin? Is He saying that the

church is empowered to judge, and that Heaven ratifies all such church

judgments? If not, what is the intent of this directive, in your opinion? (See

The Desire of Ages,

pp. 805, 806.)

"Whatever you forbid on earth must be what is already forbidden in

heaven, and whatever you permit on earth must be what is already

permitted in heaven" (Matt. 16:19,

The New Testament, A Private

Translation in the Language of the People ,

by Charles B. Williams. Chi-

cago: Moody Press, 1958.)

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At the first appearance of Christ to the disciples, Thomas was absent.

When the others told him that they had seen Jesus, he would not believe

them. It wounded his vanity to think that his Master should reveal Him-

self to all the disciples except him. He was determined not to believe, and

for a whole week he brooded over his wretchedness, which seemed all

the darker in contrast with the hope and faith of his brethren."—The

De-

sire of Ages ,

pp. 806, 807.

"Unless

see the nail prints in His hands—no, unless I can put my

finger into the nail prints and into His side, I will not believe," Thomas

said. The will is where the power of decision—of choice—is centered.

Thomas chose not to believe, even in the face of convincing evidence.

REACT: How do you personally react to the story of "doubting Thomas"?

Are you amazed and perhaps irritated at his refusal to believe?

Eight days later: "A number of the disciples now made the familiar

upper chamber their temporary home, and at evening all except Thomas

gathered here. One evening Thomas determined to meet with the others.

Notwithstanding his unbelief, he had a faint hope that the good news was

true."—The

Desire of Ages ,

p. 807.

Again, despite the barred doors, Jesus suddenly appeared before the

disciples. A third "Peace be unto you"—and then Jesus turned to a gen-

uinely astonished Thomas. "Reach hither thy finger," He invited His

doubting disciple, "and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and

thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing" (John 20:27).

Thomas declined Christ's invitation. He was convinced and needed no

further proof. He cast himself at Jesus' feet, crying, "My Lord and my

God."

Christ accepted the tardy acknowledgment from Thomas, but in the

words of this week's memory text, He gently reproved his unbelief. Sight

is not faith. Hearing is not faith. Neither is feeling faith. But believing

when we cannot see, or hear, or feel—that is faith.

The spirit and mental inclination of Thomas lives on—even in the

church today. Some still will not believe truth simply on the weight of

evidence, but demand absolute proof. But it is precisely this chasm—

great or small—between evidence and total proof that faith is called upon

to leap.

'WM!

What reason did John give for writing his Gospel? John 20:30, 31.

Seven of the disciples gathered on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. The

pleasant evening and the lure of the sea brought out the fisherman in

Peter. He proposed that they launch a boat and try their nets.

They talked and toiled through the night until dawn's light glowed over

the hills that rise from the shore. All the while, a lone watcher on that

shore followed their movements.

"Have you anything to eat?" the Stranger on the shore called out.

"No," they called back.

"Cast your net on the right side of the ship, and you-will find some

fish," the Stranger replied.

They did, and suddenly the small net was so full of fishes that it became

too heavy to draw out of the water. John says (21:11) that the net, when

finally wrestled to shore, contained 153 "great fishes." Leave it to fisher-

men to be sure and count the number of fish, and to remember the count

as well as the size of the fish!

Suddenly John recognized Jesus and exclaimed to Peter, "It is the

Lord!" In keeping with his impulsive character, Peter instantly jumped

overboard and swam for shore.

ILLUMINATION:

"Jesus had a purpose in bidding them cast their net on

the right side of the ship. On that side He stood upon the shore. That was

the side of faith. If they labored in connection with Him,—His divine

power combining with their human effort,—they could not fail of

success."—The

Desire of Ages ,

p. 811.

III. EPILOGUE (John 21:24, 25).

his final sentence, John allows himself an untypical bit of hyperbole

or enthusiastic expression. Even the entire world, he says, could not con-

tain the books recording all that Jesus did while on this earth.

"Many other things" that Jesus did, John wrote (compare 20:30), are

not contained in his Gospel. Some of these deeds of Jesus the other Gos-

pel writers recorded. But we are left to wonder what those "other things"

were—and to wish we might know. Doubtless, as time yields to eternity,

we will begin to find out.

Heaven came down, and thanks be to God that at least some of the

many words and deeds of Jesus have been preserved for our benefit

nearly two thousand years later.

ifi

FURTHER STUDY AND MEDITATION:

Read the last chapter of

The

Desire of Ages

entitled "To My Father, and Your Father."

SUMMARY:

The empty tomb was no illusion cleverly engineered by

Christ's followers. History has not been whitewashed in order to justify

the existence of Christianity. The eyewitness accounts of the Gospel

writers are not wishful fabrications. Jesus lived and is alive! And for

those skeptics who doubt the evidence of the Word, even fresher evi-

dence is available. For no effort of science or psychology can credibly

explain away the radical and miraculous changes that take place in the

lives of those in whom Jesus lives even now.

APPLICATION:

•

Is Jesus patient with me when I have doubts? What does His dealing

with Thomas tell me? How should I relate to those for whom I work

who are slow to believe?

Peter, John, and Mary were quite different from each other in temper-

ament; yet God used each of them. Because I am not as gifted as oth-

ers, am I ever tempted to believe that I am not of much use to God?

Written especially for those whose mother tongue is not English, the Easy Eng-

lish edition of the adult Sabbath School quarterly presents the quarter's topic in

clearer, more-easily-understood language.

Since its introduction two years ago, the Easy English quarterly has proven pop-

ular, not only with those who have English as a second language, but with people

who have a hard time understanding the regular adult lessons. Its larger print

makes it easier to read too!

You, too, can begin a journey of satisfying discovery by using the Easy English

quarterly.

To order, see your personal ministries secretary or visit your local ABC.

Lessons for Fourth Quarter, 1986

Sabbath School members who have not received a copy of the Adult

Lessons for the fourth quarter of 1986 will be helped by the following

outline in studying the first two lessons. The title of this series is "Total

Commitment Now."

First Lesson:

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR LIFE?"

MEMORY TEXT: John 10:10.

THIS WEEK'S STUDY: A Biblical Overview of Stewardship and

Total Commitment.

CENTRAL THOUGHT: God gave us life to use and manage for Him.

Throughout the Bible He instructs us through precept and example how

to manage our lives wisely, without selfishness. A direct connection

exists between our relationship with God and the way we manage our

lives.

OUTLINE:

The challenge of total commitment (Rom. 12:1, 2; 1 Cor. 4:2;

Luke 16:1-12).

II.

Wholistic stewardship (1 Cor. 10:31; 2 Cor. 8:5).

III.

Grace and wholistic stewardship (2 Cor. 8:1-9; Eph. 3:1-21).

IV.

The place of wholistic stewardship in character development

(Rom. 8:12-14; Gal. 5:19-23; 2 Cor. 9:6-8; Deut. 16:17).

Second Lesson:

"A BAG FULL OF HOLES"

MEMORY TEXT: Haggai 1:9.

THIS WEEK'S STUDY: Haggai 1.

CENTRAL THOUGHT: The remnant of the Jewish people who had

returned from Babylon responded willingly and with amazing alacrity to

God's message of rebuke. They seemed to sense the truth of the

prophet's message that both temporal and spiritual prosperity depend

upon faithful obedience to God's commandments.

OUTLINE:

First message—a rebuke (Haggai 1:1-12).

II.

Second message—a promise (Haggai 1:13-15).

Lessons in Braille:

The regular Adult Sabbath School Lessons are available free each month in Braille and

rpm records to blind and physically handicapped persons who cannot read normal

ink print. This includes individuals who because of arthritis, multiple sclerosis, paralysis,

accident, old age, and so forth, cannot hold or focus on normal ink-print publications.

Contact the Christian Record Braille Foundation. Box 6097, Lincoln, NE 68506.

3. Construction of

Minas Gerais

Academy

Fortaleza

•

La Paz

Santa Cruz

•

de la Sierra

Sucre•

BOLIVIA

CHIL

UNIO

1. Construction

of Chapels in

North Chile

Porto Alegre

,video

2. Construction of

Secondary School,

Antofagasta, Chile

Austral



34,100,571

Chile

East Brazil



53,137,300

Inca

32,444.946

North Brazil



17.078,106

South Brazil



53.057,669

200,922,885

236

46.811

42,419

11,104,293

39.605

38,858

337

104.843

129,098

338

141,087

166,345

108

62.970

68.902

510

161,417 156,244

1.708

556,733

601,866

Figures as of September, 1982

Tierra del Fuego

South American Division

Church



S.S.

Unions



Pi2pulation Churches Members Members